
Copyright ]^°_ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSrr 



THE LAST CRUISE OF 
THE SAGINAW 



Digitized by the Internet Arciiive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/lastcruiseofsagi01read 




LIEUTENANT- COMMANDER MONTGOMERY SICARD 



THE LAST CRUISE OF 
THE SAGINAW 

BY 

GEORGE H. READ 

PAY INSPECTOB, V. S. N. (eETIREd) 

With Illustrations from Sketches by Lieutenant 

Commander {afterwards Rear-Admiral) 

Sicard and from Contemporary 

Photographs 




TOUT 8IEN fljM^Jr OO iUDBM 



BOSTON AND NEW YORK 

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 

(Stie Stitiecjlitie pxe^^ Cambcitige 

1912 



COPYRIGHT, 19 12, BY GEORGE H. READ 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



Published February jgiz , 



^^ 



©Ci.A309284 



THIS BOOK 

IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE NOBLE 

MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE 

EFFORT TO OBTAIN RELIEF FOR 

THEIR SHIPWRECKED 

COMRADES 



PREFACE 

Dear Mr. Read : — 

I am greatly obliged to you for letting me 
read your deeply interesting account of the 
wreck of the poor Saginaw and the loss of 
Lieutenant Talbot. With General Cutter's 
approval I shall take the manuscript with me 
to Boston, but I will return it carefully. 

I leave the two photographs, but I have the 
curious drawing and newspaper scraps, which 
I will safely return. 

Very truly yours, 

Edward E. Hale. 
Dec. 21, 1880. 
Washington. 

A recent re-reading of the above old letter 
from a friend who in his lifetime stood so high 
( vii) 



PREFACE 

in the literary world, has, together with the 
suggestions of other friends and shipmates, 
decided me to launch my narrative of the 
cruise and wreck of the Saginaw on the sea of 
publicity. 

The story itself may be lost in the immense 
current of literature constantly pouring forth, 
but some good friends advise me to the con- 
trary. 

The fact that stories of sea life and adven- 
ture have ever possessed the power to attract 
the interest and stir the imagination, adds to 
the courage given me to set forth my plain 
unadorned story without any pretensions to 
literary excellence. 

Some of the first instructions given to a 
newly fledged naval officer enjoin upon him 
the necessity for brevity and directness in his 
official communications, both oral and writ- 
ten, and eventually he becomes addicted to 
formal expressions that pervade his entire cor- 
( viii ) 



PREFACE 

respondence. Eloquence or sentiment would 
probably be crushed with a reprimand. I 
trust, therefore, that the reader will consider 
the above conditions as they have surrounded 
me throughout my service, should he or she 
find a lack of decorative language in my nar- 
rative. 

To my mind, as a participant in the related 
events, there is material in the story to rival 
the fictions of Fenimore Cooper or Marryat, 
and I think that the heroes who gave up their 
lives in the effort to save their shipmates 
should stand as high on the roll of fame as do 
those lost amid battle smoke and carnage. 

G. H. R. 

August 16, 1911. 





CONTENTS 




I. 


The Beginning of the Cruise 


1 


II. 


The Wreck 


12 


III. 


On the Island 


31 


IV. 


The Sailing of the Gig 


58 


V. 


Waiting 


72 


VI. 


Rescued 


85 


VII. 


The Fate of the Gig 


96 




Appendix 


121 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

LlEUT.-CoMMANDER MONTGOMERY SiCAED 

Frontispiece v^ 

U.S. Steamer Saginaw, Fourth-Rate 2 ^' 

The Landing at Midway Islands, showing 
Seals and Albatross 8 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

The Midway Islands as we left Them 8*^ 

Ocean Island and Reef 14 "^ 

View of Ocean Island, Reef and Lagoon 
as seen from the south 16 

(The island is at the lower edge of the circle) 

Ocean Island as viewed from the North 16 ^"^ 

(The arrow shows where the Saginaw struck) 

The Saginaw in the Grip of the Breakers 24 l^ 

The Condenser made from a Small Boiler 
AND Speaking-Tubes 36 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

( xiii ) 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Gathering Timbers from the Wreck 36 *^ 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

The Captain's Tent 42 ^ 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

The Storehouse — elevated to avoid 

THE Rats 42 «^ 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

Lieutenant John G. Talbot 46"^ 

(Who volunteered and navigated the Saginaw's 
gig a distance of fourteen hundred miles to the 
Sandwich Islands and was drowned when the 
boat was in sight of land) 

The Gig before Launching, with Sails 

made on the Island - 54 '^ 

:< <"n ■ *...'• 

Passed Assistant Engineer James But- 
terworth 62 

(T\Tio, standing waist deep in the water, put the 
finishing touches to the gig) 

Ripping Timbers for the Schooner 74 '^ 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

The Frame of the Schooner.as we left It 74 

From a sketch by Captain Sicard 

( xiv ) 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

The Flagstaff feom which the Kilauea 
was sighted 86 

Camp Saginaw on the Day of Rescue 86 

Taken from the masthead of the Kilauea 

Captain Long, Commander of the Hawai- 
ian Steamer the Kilauea 90*^ 

Mr. John Paty's Bungalow at Honolulu 98 ^ 

Starboard Side of the Gig after her 
Eventful Journey 102 

Deck View of the Gig after her Event- 
ful Journey 102 

William Halford, Coxswain, the Only 
Survivor of the Gig's Crew 110 

(He is now a retired chief gunner in the Navy) 

The Tablet now on the Walls of the 
Chapel at the United States Naval 
Academy at Annapolis 119 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE 
SAGINAW 



THE BEGINNING OP THE CRUISE 

During the winter of 1869-70 the United 
States Steamer Saginaw was being repaired at 
the Mare Island Navy Yard, and her oflScers 
and crew were recuperating after a cruise on 
the west coast of Mexico, — a trying one for 
all hands on board as well as for the vessel 
itself. 

The "Alta-Californian" of San Francisco 
published the following soon after our return 
from the Mexican coast. It is all that need 
be said of the cruise. We were all very glad to 
have it behind us and forget it. 

The Saginaw, lately returned from the Mexican 
coast, had a pretty severe experience during her 

( 1 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

short cruise. At Manzanillo she contracted the 
coast fever, a form of remittent, and at one time 
had twenty-five cases, but a single death, however, 
occurring. 

On the way up, most of the time under sail, the 
machinery being disabled, the voyage was so pro- 
longed that when she arrived at San Francisco 
there was not a haK-day's allowance of provisions 
on board and for many days the officers had been 
on "ship's grub." 

Our repairs and refitting were but prelimin- 
ary to another (and the last) departure of the 
Saginaw from her native land. Our captain, 
Lieutenant-Commander Montgomery Sicard, 
had received orders to proceed to the Mid- 
way Islands, via Honolulu, and to comply 
with instructions that will appear later in 
these pages. (I should explain here that the 
commanding ofl&cer of a single vessel is usually 
addressed as "Captain," whatever his real 
rank may be, and I shall use that term through- 
out my narrative.) 

(2) 



THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE 

In a northwesterly direction from the 
Sandwich Islands there stretches for over a 
thousand miles a succession of coral reefs and 
shoals, with here and there a sandy islet 
thrown up by the winds and waves. They are 
mostly bare of vegetation beyond a stunted 
growth of bushes. These islets are called 
"atolls" by geographers, and their founda- 
tions are created by the mysterious "polyps" 
or coral insects. 

These atolls abound in the Pacific Ocean, 
and rising but a few feet above the surface, 
surrounded by uncertain and uncharted cur- 
rents, are the dread of navigators. 

Near the centre of the North Pacific and 
near the western end of the chain of atolls 
above mentioned, are two small sand islands 
in the usual lagoon, with a coral reef enclosing 
both. They were discovered by an American 
captain, N. C. Brooks, of the Hawaiian 
bark Gambia, and by him reported; were sub- 
(3) ' 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

sequently visited by the United States Steamer 
Lackawanna and surveyed for charting. 

No importance other than the danger to 
navigation was at that time attached to these 
mere sandbanks. Now, however, the trans- 
Pacific railroads, girdhng the continent and 
making valuable so many hitherto insignific- 
ant places, have cast their influence three 
thousand miles across the waters to these ob- 
scure islets. The expected increase of com- 
merce between the United States and the 
Orient has induced the Pacific Mail Steamship 
Company to look for a halfway station as a 
coaling-depot, and these, the Midway Islands, 
are expected to answer the purpose when the 
proposed improvements are made. To do the 
work of deepening a now shallow channel 
through the reef, a contract has been awarded 
to an experienced submarine engineer and the 
Saginaw has been brought into service to 
transport men and material. Our captain is 
(4 ) 



THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE 

to superintend and to report monthly on the 
progress made. Thus, with the voyages out 
and return, coupled with the several trips be- 
tween the Midways and Honolulu, we have 
the prospect of a year's deep-water cruising 
to our credit. 

February 22, 1870. Once more separated 
from home and friends, with the Golden Gate 
dissolving astern in a California fog (than 
which none can be more dense) . Old Neptune 
gives us a boisterous welcome to his domin- 
ions, and the howling of wind through the rig- 
ging, with the rolling and pitching of the ship 
as we steam out to sea, where we meet the full 
force of a stiff "southeaster," remind us that 
we are once more his subjects. 

On the fourteenth day out we heard the 

welcome cry of "Land ho!" at sunrise from 

the masthead. It proved to be the island of 

Molokai, and the next day, March 9, we 

(5) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW , 

passed into the harbor of Honolulu on the is- 
land of Oahu. We found that our arrival was 
expected, and the ship was soon surrounded 
by canoes of natives, while crowds of people 
were on the wharves. 

After six days spent in refitting and obtain- 
ing fresh food and ship-stores, we took up our 
westward course with memories of pleasant 
and hospitable treatment, both officially and 
socially, from the native and foreign people. 
Nothing happened outside of the usual rou- 
tine of sea life until March 24, when we 
sighted the Midway Islands, and at 8 p.m. 
were anchored in Welles's Harbor, so called, 
although there is barely room in it to swing 
the ship. The island is a desolate-looking 
place — the eastern end of it covered with 
brown albatross and a few seal apparently 
asleep on the beach. We can see the white 
sand drifting about with the wind like snow. 
The next day a schooner arrived with the con- 
( 6) 



THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE 

tractor's supplies and lumber for a dwelling 
and a scow, the latter to be used by the divers 
in their outside work. There also arrived, to- 
wards night, a strong gale. It blew so hard 
that with both anchors down the engines had 
to be worked constantly to prevent drifting 
either on the island or the reef. 

During the month of April work both 
afloat and ashore was steadily pushed. The 
contractor's house was set up and the divers' 
scow completed and^launched. In addition, 
a thorough survey of the entire reef and [bar 
was completed. 

\ Our several trips between the Midways 
and Honolulu need but brief mention. They 
were slow and monotonous, being made mostly 
under sail. The Saginaw was not built for 
that purpose. On one occasion, on account 
of head winds, we made but twenty miles on 
our course in two days. 

The last return to the Midways came on 
( 7 ) , 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

October 12, and the appropriation of ^50,000 
having been expended, our captain proceeded 
to carry out his orders directing him to take 
on board the contractor's workmen with their 
tools and stores and transport them to San 
Francisco. 

We found the shore party all well and look- 
ing forward with pleasure to the closing day 
of their contract. They certainly have had 
the monotonous and irksome end of the busi- 
ness, although we have not been able to de- 
rive much pleasure from our sailings to and 
fro. 

A brief resume of the work performed dur- 
ing their seven months' imprisonment I have 
compiled from the journal of Passed Assist- 
ant Engineer Blye, who remained upon the 
island during our absences. 

Their first attempt at dislodging the coral 
rock on the bar was made by the diver with 
two canisters of powder, and about five tons 
( 8 ) 




THE LANDING AT MIDWAY ISLANDS 







iMl^l::. 



THE MIDWAY ISLANDS AS WE LEFT THEM 



THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE 

of rock were dislodged and well broken up. 
Thereafter the work was intermittently car- 
ried on, as weather permitted. During Sep- 
tember and October there were frequent 
strong gales from the west, and on such occa- 
sions the mouth of the harbor, being on that 
side, was dangerous to approach. 

After toiling laboriously and constantly 
for six months, using large quantities of 
powder and fuse, the result now is a passage 
through the bar fifteen feet in width and four 
hundred feet in length, whereas one hundred 
and seventy feet in width is estimated as es- 
sential. A proper completion would call for a 
much larger appropriation. 

During the month of April the thermome- 
ter ranged from 68 degrees at sunrise to 86 
degrees at noon and 80 degrees at sundown. 
The prevailing winds during the summer 
months were the northeast trades, varying 
from northeast to east southeast. 
(9) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

A cause of much annoyance has been the 
drifting of sand during high winds, when it 
flies like driven snow, cutting the face and 
hands. (This was so great an annoyance that 
on our first trip to Honolulu I purchased for 
each person a pair of goggles to protect the 
eyes.) 

Taking into consideration the dangers of 
navigation in a neighborhood abounding 
with these coral reefs, the fact that they are 
visible but a short distance only in clear 
weather, and that an entrance to the lagoon 
could only be made in a smooth sea, it really 
seems a questionable undertaking to attempt 
the formation of an anchorage here for the 
large steamers of the Pacific Mail Company. 

When the westerly gales blow, the mouth 
of the lagoon being, as in most coral islands, 
on that side, the sea breaks heavily all over 
the lagoon and no work can be done. On one 
occasion the workmen were returning to the 
( 10 ) 



THE BEGINNING OF THE CRUISE 

island from the entrance to the channel when 
one of these gales came on and, as one of them 
told me, "It was a mighty big conundrum at 
one time whether we would ever reach the 
shore." 



n 

THE WRECK 

With the homeward-bound pennant flying 
from the mainmast head and with the con- 
tractor's working party on board, we sailed 
from the Midway Islands on Friday, Octo- 
ber 29, at 4 P.M. for San Francisco. We had 
dragged high up on the beach the scow from 
which the divers had worked, secured the 
house doors, and taken a last look at the 
blinding sand with thankful hearts for leav- 
ing it. 

As Doctor Frank, our surgeon, and myself 
were walking down the beach to the last boat 
off to the ship, there occurred an incident which 
I will relate here for psychological students. 

He remarked, as we loitered around the 
landing, that he felt greatly depressed with- 
( 12 ) 



THE WRECK 

out being able to define any cause for it and 
that he could not rid himself of the impres- 
sion that some misfortune was impending. I 
tried to cheer him up; told him that the 
"blues" were on him, when he ought to be 
rejoicing instead; that we had a fair wind 
and a smooth sea to start us on a speedy re- 
turn to the old friends in San Francisco. It 
was in vain, however; he expressed a firm be- 
lief that we should meet with some disaster 
on our voyage and I dropped the subject 
with a "pooh pooh." 

As soon as we reached the open sea, the 
captain ordered the ship headed to the west- 
ward and the pressure of steam to be reduced, 
as with topsails set we sailed along to a light 
easterly breeze. It was his intention, he 
stated, to come within sight of Ocean Island 
about daylight and to verify its location by 
steaming around it before heading away for 
San Francisco. 

( 13 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

It should be noted that it is in the direct 
line of a naval commander's duty, when he is 
in the neighborhood of such dangers to navi- 
gation, to confirm by observation their posi- 
tion on the charts as well as to rescue any 
unfortunate persons that fate may have cast 
away upon them. Our own subsequent situ- 
ation gives proof of the wisdom of such a 
regulation. 

Ocean Island is about fifty miles to the west- 
ward of the Midway Islands, is of similar for- 
mation, and is the last one (so far as our 
chart shows) in the chain of ocean dangers 
that I have referred to as extending more 
than a thousand miles to the westward from 
the Sandwich Islands. It was on this reef that 
the British ship Gledstanes was wrecked in 
1837, and the American ship Parker in Sep- 
tember, 1842, the crew of the latter vessel 
remaining there until May, 1843, when they 
were taken off. 

( 14 ) 




OCEAN ISLAND AND REEF 



THE WRECK 

The "Hawaiian Spectator" for July, 1838, 
gives the following account of the loss of the 
Gledstanes, captain, J. R. Brown: — 

The vessel was wrecked July 9, 1837, at mid- 
night. One of the crew only was lost, he having 
jumped overboard in a state of intoxication. Cap- 
tain Brown remained on the island over five 
months, when, with his chief mate and eight sea- 
men, he embarked for these islands in a schooner 
which had been constructed from the fragments 
of the wreck. The other oflBcers and men, who 
remained on the island several months longer, en- 
dured great suffering and were finally brought off 
in a vessel sent for them by H.B.M. Consul. Cap- 
tain Brown gave the following description of the 
island. " The island is in latitude 28° 22' North, 
and longitude 178° 30' West, and is about three 
miles in circumference. It is composed of broken 
coral and shells and is covered near the shore by 
low bushes. In the season it abounds with sea birds 
and at times there are considerable numbers of hair 
seals. The highest part of the island is not more than 
ten feet above sea level and the only fresh water 
( 15 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

is what drains through the sand after the heavy 
rains," 

Charles Darwin^ has the following to say 
concerning Ocean Island, which he character- 
izes as a true *' atoll," as distinguished from 
"barrier" and "fringing" reefs, which are gen- 
erally formed near the shores of higher land: 

I have in vain consulted the works of Cook, 
Vancouver, La Peyrouse, and Lisiansky for any 
satisfactory account of the small islands and reefs 
which lie scattered in a northwest line prolonged 
from the Sandwich group and hence have left 
them uncolored, with one exception, for I am in- 
debted to Mr. F. D. Bennett for informing me of 
an atoll-formed reef in latitude 28° 22', longitude 
178° 30' West, on which the Gledstanes was 
wrecked in 1837. It is apparently of large size and 
extends in a northwest and southeast line; very 
few inlets have been formed on it. The lagoon 

^ The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, by Charles 
Darwin. Walter Scott: 24 Warwick Lane, London, 1842. 
If Mr. Darwin had known of the proximity of the Midway 
and Pearl and Hermes reefs he would probably have doubts 
as to the true character of our atoll. 

( 16 ) , 



l-.'J'lf!' '.^^'^'J-f" 



*^;-4»."-i^?i)r;: 



VIEW OF OCEAN ISLAND, REEF, AND LAGOON, AS SEEN 
FROM THE SOUTH 

(The Island is at the lower edge of the circle.) 




OCEAN ISLAND AS VIEWED FROM THE NORTH 
(The arrow shows where the Saginaw struck.) 



THE WRECK 

seems to be shallow; at least the deepest part which 
was surveyed was only three fathoms. 

Mr. Couthony describes this island under the 
name of Ocean Island. Considerable doubts should 
be entertained regarding the nature of a reef of 
this kind with a very shallow lagoon, and standing 
far from any other atoll, on account of the possi- 
bility of a crater or flat bank of rock lying at the 
proper depth beneath the surface of the sea, thus 
affording a foundation for a ring-formed coral reef. 

The evening following the departure passed 
quietly in our wardroom quarters and in fact 
all over the ship. Officers and men were more 
than usually fatigued after the preparations 
for sea both on shore and on board. There 
was none of the general hilarity accompany- 
ing a homeward cruise. There was also a pre- 
vailing dread of a long and tedious journey 
of over three thousand miles, mostly to be 
made under sail, and we all knew the tendency 
of the old Saginaw in a head wind to make 
"eight points to leeward," or, as a landlubber 
( 17 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

would say, to go sideways. We occupied our- 
selves in stowing and securing our movables, 
and after the bugle sounded "Out lights" at 
9 P.M. the steady tramp of the lookouts and 
their half -hour hail of "All's well" were all 
that disturbed the quiet of the night. 

The night was dark, but a few stars were 
occasionally visible between the passing 
clouds. The sea continued smooth and the 
ship on an even keel. When I turned in at ten 
o'clock I had the comforting thought that by 
the same time to-morrow night we should be 
heading for San Francisco. We were making 
about three knots an hour, which would bring 
Ocean Island in sight about early dawn, so 
that there would be plenty of time to circum- 
navigate the reef and get a good offing on our 
course before dark. 

How sadly, alas! our intentions were frus- 
trated and how fully our surgeon's premoni- 
tions were fulfilled! My pen falters at the 
( 18 ) 



THE WRECK 

attempt to describe the events of the next few 
hours. I was suddenly awakened about three 
o'clock in the morning by an unusual com- 
motion on deck; the hurried tramping of feet 
and confusion of sounds. In the midst of it I 
distinguished the captain's voice sounding in 
sharp contrast to his usual moderate tone, 
ordering the taking in of the topsails and im- 
mediately after the cutting away of the top- 
sail halliards. Until the latter order was given 
I imagined the approach of a rain squall, a fre- 
quent occurrence formerly, but I knew now 
that some greater emergency existed, and so I 
hastily and partly dressed myself sufficiently 
to go on deck. 

Just before I reached the top of the ward- 
room ladder I felt the ship strike something 
and supposed we were in collision with an- 
other vessel. The shock was an easy one at 
first, but was followed immediately by others 
of increasing force, and, as my feet touched 
( 19 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

the deck, by two severe shocks that caused 
the ship to tremble in every timber. The long 
easy swell that had been lifting us gently 
along in the open sea was now transformed 
into heavy breakers as it reached and swept 
over the coral reef, each wave lifting and 
dropping with a frightful thud the quaking 
ship. It seemed at each fall as though her 
masts and smokestack would jump from their 
holdings and go by the board. To a lands- 
man or even a professional seaman who has 
never experienced the sensation it would be 
impossible to convey a realizing sense of the 
feelings aroused by our sudden misfortune. 
There is a something even in the air akin to 
the terror of an earthquake shock — a condi- 
tion unnatural and uncanny. The good ship 
that for years has safely sailed the seas or 
anchored in ports with a free keel, fulfilhng in 
all respects the destiny marked out for her 
at her birth, suddenly and without warning 
( 20 ) 



THE WRECK 

enters upon her death-struggle with the rocks 
and appeals for help. There is no wonder that 
brave men — men having withstood the shock 
of battle and endured the hardships of the 
fiercest storms — should feel their nerves 
shaken from their first glance at the situation. 

The captain had immediately followed his 
orders, to take in the sails that were forging 
us on towards the reef, by an order to back 
engines. Alas! the steam was too low to give 
more than a few turns to the wheels, and they 
could not overcome the momentum of the 
ship. In less than an hour of the fierce pound- 
ing the jagged rock broke through the hull and 
tore up the engine and fire room floor; the 
water rushed in and reached the fires ; the doom 
of our good ship was now apparent and sealed. 

I hastily returned to my stateroom, secured 

more clothing, together with some of the 

ship's papers, then ascended to the hurricane 

deck to await developments or to stand by 

( 21 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

to do rescue work as ordered. I had partici- 
pated in the past in drills that are called in 
Navy Regulations "abandoned ship." In 
these drills every one on board is supposed to 
leave the vessel and take station as assigned 
in one of the ship's boats. I had only taken 
part in these drills during calm weather at 
sea, and thought it a pretty sight to see all 
the boats completely equipped and lying off 
in view of the deserted vessel. Here, how- 
ever, no programme could help us. Our cap- 
tain's judgment and quickness of decision 
must control events as they develop. 

The night was clear and starlit, but we 
could see nothing of any land. Perhaps we 
had struck on some uncharted reef, and while 
strenuously employed in getting the boats 
over the side opposite the sea we waited 
anxiously for daylight. The scene was one for 
a lifelong remembrance and is beyond my 
power adequately and calmly to describe. ■' 
( 22 ) 



THE WRECK 

There was at first some confusion, but the 
stern and composed attitude of the captain 
and his sharp, clear orders soon brought every 
one to his senses, and order was restored. 

One of the most reassuring things to me at 
this time was the sight of our colored ward- 
room steward in double irons for some offense, 
sitting on a hatch of the hurricane deck, 
whistling "Way down upon the Suwanee 
River." He seemed to me far from realizing 
the gravity of the situation, or else to possess 
great courage. At any rate, it diverted my 
thoughts of danger into other channels. He 
said the key to the irons could not be found. 
The irons were soon severed, however, with a 
chisel and hammer, and he went below to aid 
the men with his knowledge of the stowage of 
the oflScers' provender. His confinement was 
never renewed, for he did good work in the 
rescue of food. 

A few of the more frightened ones had at 
( 23 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

first, either througli a misunderstanding or 
otherwise, rushed to our largest boat — the 
launch — hanging at the starboard quarter 
and partly lowered it before the act was 
noticed. A large combing sea came along and 
tore it from their hold, smashing it against 
the side of the ship and then carrying its 
remnants away with its tackles and all its 
fittings. This was a great loss, we felt, if we 
should have to take to the boats, for we did 
not know at that time where we were. The 
same wave also carried off one of the crew, 
a member of the Marine Guard, who had 
been on the bulwarks; and whisking him sea- 
ward, returned him miraculously around the 
stern of the ship to the reef, where his strug- 
gles and cries attracted the notice of others. 
He was hauled over the lee side, somewhat 
bruised and water-soaked, but, judging from 
his remarks, apparently not realizing his 
wonderful escape from death. 
( 24 ) 



THE WRECK 

As the night wore on, the wind increased 
and also the size of the breakers. The ship, 
which had first struck the reef "bows on," 
was gradually swung around until she was at 
first broadside to the reef, and then further 
until the after part, to which we were cling- 
ing, was lifted over the jagged edge of the 
perpendicular wall of rock. She was finally 
twisted around until. the bow hung directly 
to seaward, with the middle of the hull at the 
edge. Thus the ship "seesawed" from stem 
to stern with each coming wave for an hour 
or more and until the forward part broke 
away with a loud crash and disappeared in 
the deep water outside. Our anchors, that 
had been "let go," apparently never touched 
bottom until the bow went with them. 

All that was left of our good ship now 

heeled over towards the inner side of the reef, 

the smokestack soon went by the board and 

the mainmast was made to follow it by sim- 

( 25 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

ply cutting away the starboard or seaward 
shrouds. Over this mast we could pass to the 
reef, however, and there was comparative 
quiet in the waters under our lee. This helped 
us in passing across whatever we could save 
from the wreck, and in this manner went three 
of our boats, the captain's gig, one of the cut- 
ters, and the dinghy, without much damage 
to them. We also secured in this way an iron 
lifeboat belonging to the contractor. 

As the first gray streaks of dawn showed us 
a small strip of terra firma in the smooth 
water of the lagoon and not far from the reef, 
many a sigh of relief was heard, and our 
efforts were redoubled to provide some means 
of prolonging existence there. At any rate, 
we knew now where we were and could at 
least imagine a possible relief and plan meas- 
ures to secure it. 

Although the sea had robbed us of the 
larger part of our provisions, in the forward 
( 26 ) 



THE WRECK 

hold there were still some of the most import- 
ant stowed within the fragment we were 
clinging to, which contained the bread and 
clothing storerooms. With daylight our task 
was made easier. 

A line was formed across the reef and every- 
thing rescued was passed over the side and 
from hand to hand to the boats in the lagoon, 
for transfer to the island. Thus we stood 
waist-deep in the water, feet and ankles 
lacerated and bleeding, stumbling about the 
sharp and uneven coral rock, until five in the 
afternoon, and yet our spirits, which had been 
low in the dark, were so encouraged by a sight 
of a small portion of dry land and at least a 
temporary escape from a watery grave that 
now and then a jest or a laugh would pass 
along the line with some article that suggested 
a future meal. 

At five o'clock in the afternoon the order 
was given to abandon the wreck (which was 
(27 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

done while hoping that it would hold together 
until to-morrow), and as the sun went down 
on the "lone barren isle," all hands were 
"piped" by the boatswain's whistle to supper. 

A half -teacup of water, half a cake of hard- 
tack, and a small piece of boiled pork consti- 
tuted our evening meal, to which was added 
a piece of boiled mutton that had been in- 
tended for the wardroom table. 

After this frugal meal all hands were mus- 
tered upon the beach to listen to a prayer of 
thankfulness for our deliverance and then to a 
few sensible and well-timed remarks from the 
captain enjoining discipline, good nature, 
and economy of food under our trying cir- 
cumstances. He told us that by the Navy 
Regulations he was instructed, as our com- 
manding officer, to keep up, in such sad condi- 
tions as we were thrown into, the organization 
and discipline of the Service so far as applica- 
ble; that he would in the event of our rescue 
( 28 ) 



THE WRECK 

(which we should all hope for and look for- 
ward to) be held responsible for the proper 
administration of law and order; that officers 
and crew should fare alike on our scanty store 
of food, and that with care we should proba- 
bly make out, with the help of seal meat and 
birds, a reduced ration for some little time. 
He would detail our several duties to-mor- 
row. Then we were dismissed to seek "tired 
nature's sweet restorer" as best we could. 

With fourteen hours of severe labor, tired, 
wet, and hungry, we were yet glad enough to 
sink to rest amid the bushes with but the sky 
for a canopy and a hummock of sand for a 
pillow. In my own case sleep was hard to 
win. For a long time I lay watching the stars 
and speculating upon the prospects of release 
from our island prison. Life seemed to reach 
dimly uncertain into the future, with shadow 
pictures intervening of famished men and 
bereaved families. 

( 29 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

I could hear the waves within a few rods of 
our resting-places — there was no music in 
them now — lapping the beach in their rest- 
lessness, and now and then an angry roar 
from the outside reef, as though the sea was in 
rage over its failure to reach us. I realized 
that for more than a thousand miles the sea 
stretched away in every direction before 
meeting inhabited shores and for treble that 
distance to our native land; that our island 
was but a small dot in the vast Pacific — a 
dot so small that few maps give it recognition. 
Truly it was a dismal outlook that "tired 
nature " finally dispelled and that sleep trans- 
formed into oblivion; for I went to sleep 
finally while recalling old stories of family 
gatherings where was always placed a vacant 
chair for the loved absent one should he ever 
return. 



Ill 

ON THE ISLAND 

Sunday, October 30. No pretensions to the 
official observance of the Sabbath were made 
to-day. We always had religious services on 
board the ship when the weather permitted 
on Sunday, but to-day every effort has been 
made to further the safety of our condition. 

The captain, executive officer, and many of 
the crew went off early to the wreck in order 
to make further search for supplies and equip- 
ment. The wreck appears from the island to 
be about as we left it, for the wind has been 
light and the sea calm during the night. 

I remained on shore with a few men to 

assist in sorting out and making a list of the 

articles rescued yesterday and to assemble 

them in the best place suitable for their pre- 

( 31 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

servation. We spread out in the sun the bread, 
bags of flour, and other dry foodstuffs, even 
to the smallest fragments, and it was early- 
apparent that unless much more food is 
secured we shall be compelled to live upon a 
greatly reduced ration and that our main 
source of food will be the seal and brown alba- 
tross (or "goonies," as they are commonly 
called) . Both of these seem plentiful and are 
easily captured. 

The seal succumb quickly to a blow upon 
the head, a fact we discovered early in our 
first visit to the Midway Islands. One of the 
boat's crew, when pushing off from the beach, 
carelessly and without intent to kill, struck a 
near-by seal on the head with an oar, and the 
next morning it was found dead, apparently 
not having moved from the spot. Its mate 
had found it and was nosing it about, while 
moaning in a most humanlike voice. 

These seal are quite different from the 
( 32 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

Alaska fur seal, of such great value for their 
fur. These have a short lustreless hair, and 
their principal value is in the oil that is ex- 
tracted by the few seal hunters who seek them. 
They frequently exceed two hundred pounds 
in weight, and are savage fighters if one can 
judge by the many scars found upon them. 
We never thought, when, a few months ago, 
we amused ourselves on the verandas of the 
Cliff House at San Francisco in watching 
their disporting about Seal Rock, that we 
should make such a close acquaintance with 
them. 

The "goonies" also are easy to capture, 
although they are large and strong and a blow 
from the wing would break a man's limb. I 
measured one of them from tip to tip of wing, 
and it was over seven feet. They are, how- 
ever, very awkward on their feet, and, having 
a double-jointed wing (that is, a joint in it 
like an elbow) can only rise from the ground 
( 33 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

when the wind is in their faces. Owing to this 
fact one only needs to get to the windward 
of them with a club and look out for the 
wings. We should like to add some of their 
eggs to our bill of fare, but dare not for fear 
of driving the birds away. I imagine it would 
take but a few of the eggs, if eatable, to go 
around, for I saw one at the Midways that 
was as large as those of the ostrich. 

Fresh water will, however, apparently be 
our greatest cause for anxiety; for we have 
secured but a small supply, considering our 
number — ninety-three. A few breakers or 
kegs only, that were stowed in the boats, 
were secured. Rain, of course, we count upon; 
but to conserve our scanty supply until it 
comes is most necessary. To-day several 
wells have been dug in various parts of the 
island, but the water found in them is near 
the surface and is too brackish for any use. 

The old timbers of a former wreck, prob- 
(34) 



ON THE ISLAND 

ably of the "Gledstanes," — the "bones" as 
sailors call them, — lie near on the beach and 
look as though they would yield us fuel for a 
long time. Our fire, which was started last 
evening by a match that Mr. Bailey, the chief 
diver, had fortunately kept dry, has been 
constantly going for lack of more lighting 
material. 

Evening. The reef party returned at sun- 
down, reporting a strenuous day on the wreck. 
We all had a supper of "scouse" (a dish of 
pork, potato, and hard tack), and before 
sleeping the camp site was laid out, the sails 
and awnings which had come on shore tem- 
porarily set up, to our greater comfort. Be- 
sides the sails and awnings, more food sup- 
plies were captured from the after storeroom 
and a particularly fortunate prize secured in a 
small portable boiler that had been lashed to 
the after deck. This had been used by the 
contractor's party in hoisting to the scow the 
(35) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

blasted coral from the reef, at Midway 
Islands. There were also in one of the wheel- 
houses of the wreck some distilling-coils, 
which the engineer's force with our chief 
engineer successfully rescued after hard 
labor, for the sea was washing through the 
wheelhouse with terrible force. The boiler, 
suspended between two boats, was success- 
fully landed on the beach, and we are greatly 
encouraged at the promise of fresh water 
to-morrow. We secured a barrel, also, partly 
filled with sperm oil, and a lantern in good 
condition. These two articles insure us a 
supply of lighting material for the cooking- 
fire, which can now be put out at night and 
much fuel saved. Considerable clothing was 
secured from the officers' staterooms, and I 
was fortunate enough to find some of mine 
rolled up in one of the large wet bundles; and 
a few soaked mattresses and blankets were 
also brought in. The carpenter's chest, ioo, 
(36) 



"STIW 




THE CONDENSER — MADE FROM A SMALL BOILER AND 
SPEAKING-TUBES 




GATHERING TIMBERS FROM THE WRECK 



ON THE ISLAND 

came ashore intact, and altogether we feel our 
situation greatly improved. 

Mr. Talbot tells me that they are literally 
"stripping" the wreck, and nothing movable 
will be left on it if the weather will but hold 
good long enough. No one stops to question 
the utility of an article found adrift; it is 
seized hastily and thrown out on the reef 
to be transported later to the island. Pieces 
of rigging, boxes of tinned coffee, canned 
goods, tools, crockery, sails, awnings, etc., all 
come to the beach in a promiscuous mass to 
be sorted out later. 

Monday, October 31. Still at work on the 
wreck. Boiler set up on the beach and con- 
nected with the distilling-coils by a piece of 
canvas hose. The inner end of the coils was 
joined to a length of our pilot-house speaking- 
tube as a return to the beach. By this arrange- 
ment the steam passed under the cooler 
water of the lagoon and was condensed as it 
( 37 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

returned to a bucket on the beaeli. Great joy- 
was expressed at the first sight of the little 
stream and a great fear was lifted from our 
thoughts. At supper we had a cup of coffee to 
finish the quarter-ration of food, which was 
made into a scouse as before. The hard tack 
needed in making the scouse, however, will 
soon be exhausted, for, excepting a small 
quantity saved in tins, it is spoiling rapidly. 
So to-day I opened a bag of flour to ascer- 
tain if we were to have any breadstuff. I 
found to my glad surprise that, with the 
exception of about an inch on the outside, it 
was sweet and sound. The sea water had pro- 
tected it with a crust. A barrel of beans was 
also found to be in good condition; so that our 
pile of foodstuff under the sentry's charge 
begins to loom high for our safety for some 
time to come. 

Tuesday, November 1. The crew was formed 
into several messes to-day, and also into 
(38 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

watches. Each mess was provided with a 
tent, that for our mess (the wardroom) being 
made from the Saginaw's quarter-deck awn- 
ing. Such of our dry goods and bedding as 
had been rescued were removed to them, and 
our Httle camp begins to take on the appear- 
ance of comfort. 

The duties of every member of the ship's 
company have been so arranged that it is 
hoped and expected that no one will have 
much time to brood over our situation or the 
future. 

Wednesday, November 2. The bad weather 
we have feared has arrived. It came on sud- 
denly this morning from the southeast with 
a high wind and a heavy rainfall, and before 
we had been able firmly to secure the tents. 
After strenuous exertion, however, we saved 
them from being blown over, but were wet to 
the skin when they were finally safe in place. 

Fortunately the wreck on the reef has been 
(39 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

thoroughly explored and there is very little 
material there now that could be of use to us, 
unless it may be the timbers themselves, to 
help us in building a seaworthy boat should it 
be necessary to do so in a final effort to get 
away. The idea of sending a boat to the 
Sandwich Islands for relief has been already 
revolving in our minds, and to-day was re- 
vealed by an order from the captain to the 
senior officers. After a consultation singly 
with us, he has directed each one to file with 
him an opinion on the feasibility and neces- 
sity of doing so — each written opinion to be 
without knowledge of the others. 

It is probable that the hulk will be consider- 
ably broken up before the wind and sea go 
down, for one can see it rise and fall with the 
breakers, and occasionally a piece is detached 
and floated across the reef into the lagoon. 
As soon as it is safe to launch the boats, the 
work of securing these pieces will be started. 
( 40 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

The boats are now resting at the highest 
part of the island in the centre of the camp, 
for even with the protecting reef the sea in 
the lagoon has been so rough that combers 
have reached within a few feet of our tents. 
As I write my journal we are a wet and sad 
party of unfortunates. 

Our captain and his boat's crew must be 
having an experience worse than ours, how- 
ever. They left this morning in the cutter for 
the sand spit near and to the west of us, to 
collect driftwood, and are "marooned'* there 
in the storm. They can be seen, with the 
glasses, huddled together beneath the up- 
turned boat. They do not, however, seem to 
be in imminent danger, and have made no sig- 
nals of distress; so we expect them to return 
as soon as the sea abates. 

Thursday, November 3. It has been still 
too rough to-day to launch the boats for 
work in the lagoon. We have, however, 
(41) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

busied ourselves in erecting a storehouse for 
the better preservation of our food supplies, 
and to-night have them safely under cover. 
Last night the rats robbed us of a box of 
macaroni, and, therefore, we have put our 
storehouse on posts and two feet above 
the ground with inverted pans upon the 
posts. 

We made the acquaintance of the rats last 
night in our tent when a noisy fight over a 
piece of candle disturbed our sleep. We had 
seen a few of them before, but did not sup- 
pose them to be so very numerous — as on 
first thought there seemed to be so very little 
for them to eat. We now found them to have 
good lungs and appetites, however, and a good 
deal of thrashing around with boots, etc., was 
necessary to expel them. We discussed them 
before we went to sleep again in the light of a 
future food supply, — an addition to our one- 
quarter ration, — and the opinion was general 
(42) 







THE CAPTAIN'S TENT 




THE STOREHOUSE, ELEVATED TO AVOID RATS 



ON THE ISLAND 

that should the seal and gooney desert us the 
rats would become more valuable. At any 
rate, they would thrive on the refuse of the 
food we had now. 

The captain returned this morning from his 
expedition and gives a sad story of their luck. 
They had to literally bury themselves to the 
neck in the sand and lie under the boat to 
prevent being drenched by the rain. During 
the height of the storm they had one streak of 
good luck. They found some companions 
that the rough sea had induced to seek the 
shelter of the lagoon and beach. They were 
large sea turtles, and he and his crew turned 
them on their backs to prevent their escape. 
To-day we have them added to our food- 
supply and they are very welcome, notwith- 
standing the sad plight of their captors when 
they returned. 

We have also added to our fresh water a 
supply of about fifty gallons caught in the 
(43) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

rainstorm of yesterday, and doled out an 
extra cupful to each person. 

Friday, November 4. The sea is rolling in 
huge breakers on the reef to-day, enveloping 
the wreck in spray, and we are constantly 
expecting to see the last of the Saginaw as a 
hulk. Several pieces can be seen adrift in the 
lagoon, and the hurricane deck is probably 
among them. The boats were launched and 
the mainmast towed to the landing, where it 
was anchored. It is the intention to have it 
set up near our camp and to use it for a look- 
out station as well as a means of flying a dis- 
tress signal in case a passing vessel should be 
sighted. However, we do not pin much faith 
to the idea of rescue from passing ships, for 
the presence of these coral reefs constitutes 
such a menace to navigation that they are 
avoided. Vessels generally pass far to the 
north or south of them. 

Saturday y November 5. The gig was carried 
( 44 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

well up on the beach to-day and set in a 
cradle, to be prepared for a voyage to the 
Sandwich Islands. It is the intention to raise 
her sides a few inches, to construct a light 
deck over all. and to fit her with two masts 
and sails. (Part of the sails were saved 
with the boat.) In the deck there are to be 
four square small hatches (with covers in case 
of bad weather), in which the men can sit 
and row when the wind is too light or contrary 
for sailing. From this it may be seen that the 
perilous trip has been decided upon by the 
captain. I have no doubt he feels the respon- 
sibility which he assumes, and I have great 
faith in his judgment. Our opinions were 
handed in to him yesterday, but of course we 
do not know what their influence has been, 
but it must be evident to him that all hands 
— officers and men alike — are loyally co- 
operating with him in our trying situation. 
\We learn that Lieutenant Talbot volun- 
(45) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

teered the day after the wreck to make the 
attempt and that several of the crew have also 
asked to go with him. In fact, so many of the 
men have volunteered that it will be neces- 
sary to take the pick of those most likely to 
stand the exposure, for although we have 
seen that such a trip was made in the case 
of the " Gledstanes," it must be remembered 
that they took five months to build a sea- 
worthy vessel, while our brave boys will go 
in a practically open boat. 

Sunday, November 6. We were mustered 
for divine service to-day, and it being the 
first Sunday of the month the roll was called 
and each man answered "Here" as his name 
was called. After that prayers were read by 
the captain and an extra cup of water served 
out from the quantity caught during the re- 
cent gale. Work was suspended so far as 
possible, but the lagoon being so quiet it was 
thought necessary to launch two of the boats 
(46) 




LIEUTENANT JOHN G. TALBOT 



ON THE ISLAND 

and tow in some of the floating timbers. We 
were overjoyed thus to receive and haul up 
free of the water a large fragment of the old 
hurricane deck. We can imagine some value 
in almost any piece of timber, but in this par- 
ticular we are confident of securing much ma- 
terial for the building of our future boat, it 
being of three inch thick narrow planking. 
We believe we can make one and a half inch 
stuff from it by rigging up a staging and con- 
verting our one bucksaw into a jigsaw with 
a man above and one below. The blacksmith 
believes that he can extract a good supply of 
nails, and in many ways it is evident that we 
are not going to wait supinely for the relief 
we hope for from our brave comrades' voy- 
age. 

To-day we killed our first goonies and had 

some for supper. They were very tough and 

"fishy," and Solomon Graves, once the 

Saginaw's cabin cook, but now "King of the 

(47) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Galley" on Ocean Island, says tliat he cooked 
them all day. Only a portion of the bird could 
be masticated. However, it was voted 
superior to seal, the latter being so tough 
that Graves has to parboil it overnight and 
fry it in the morning. The hard tack is ex- 
hausted, but so much of the flour has been 
found good that we are to have a table- 
spoonful every other day and the same quan- 
tity of beans on the alternate days as substi- 
tutes for the hard tack. A cup of coffee or tea 
every day for the morning meal. Supper we 
have at five. 

We had a luxury after supper. There are 
nine of us in the wardroom mess who smoke, 
and each of us was generously supplied with 
a cigar by Passed Assistant Engineer Blye, 
whose chest was rescued the second day; 
it contained a box of five hundred Manila 
cigars. 

"^ Mondayy November 7. The mainmast is 
( 48 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

ready to raise to-morrow. An excavation has 
been made at the highest point of the island, 
near the captain's tent, and the mast rolled 
up to it with the rope guys ready to hold it 
upright. The carpenter's gang have been 
busy all day in sorting out material for the 
gig's deck and for raising her sides eight 
inches. 

While the weather is fine, there seems to be 
a considerable swell at sea from the late storm, 
and the wreck is gradually, as it were, melting 
away. To-day a piece of the hull floated 
towards us and a boat was sent after it. 
When it reached the beach I recognized the 
remains of my stateroom, with twisted bolts 
protruding from the edge where it had been 
wrenched away from the rest of the hull. I 
viewed mournfully the remnant of my long- 
time home and reflected how it had once been 
my protection and that now fate had turned 
me out of its shelter. Many of the hopes that 
(49) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

were bred within its wooden walls have been 
shattered by its destruction, and I thought 
it would be appropriate to bury it on the beach 
with an epitaph above it showing the simple 
words "Lights out" which I had so often 
heard at its door when the ship's corporal 
made his nightly rounds at the "turning-in" 
hour. However, it was valuable even in its 
ruin for building and burning material. Be- 
sides, we are not ready yet to think of any- 
thing like a funeral. 

Tuesday, November 8. I am writing my 
journal this evening with feelings of cheer 
and strengthened hopes, for although the 
fore part of the day was full of gloomy fore- 
bodings it has ended eventfully and happily. 
Our task to-day, as I have said, was to set up 
the mainmast, and the work was begun im- 
mediately after our breakfast. All hands 
were strenuously employed until noon. First, 
the mast was rolled into position so that the 
(50) 



ON THE ISLAND 

foot would be exactly over the centre of the 
hole dug yesterday. Then a small derrick 
was made to support the mast nearly in bal- 
ance. With tackles and ropes then adjusted, 
as all good sailors know how to do, the heel 
was lowered slowly and the top elevated by 
the guys, until the mast stood on its foot and 
was secured upright. It was dinner-time when 
we considered it safe to leave, and we were 
glad when it was finally in place, for the 
work took about all the strength we had. 

What was our dismay while we were at 
dinner to hear the snap of rope and the crash 
of the falling mast. Everybody rushed to the 
spot, and it was discovered that one of the 
guys had parted and that the sand had not 
been firm enough to hold the mast erect. 
Luckily the mast was not injured, and the 
captain said calmly, as though it was an every- 
day occurrence, "Well, men, we must do it 
again." 

(51 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

While we were standing about the hole and 
the captain was directing preparations for 
another effort, one of the men, noticing the 
water at the bottom, scooped some of it up 
in a shovel and raised it to his lips. I shall 
never forget his expression as he swallowed it. 
His eyes snapped, his face went white, and 
broadened almost into a grin, and he seemed 
for an instant to hold his breath. Then his 
color came back, and with a wild shout of 
gladness he exclaimed so that all could hear, 
"Boys — fresh water, by G — ." And so it 
proved, — soft and pure, — although within 
twenty feet of the salt water at the beach. 
Examination showed that there was quite a 
"pocket" of this filtered rainwater, and that 
the point where we had excavated was evi- 
dently where the island had originally com- 
menced to form on solid ground. We noticed, 
too, during the afternoon that the water in it 
rises and falls with the tide of the ocean in the 
( 52 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

lagoon without mixing. This was explained 
by one of the officers, who had before seen 
such conditions, as due to the difference in 
density of the two waters, and the fact that 
the small rise and fall of the tide, which is only 
about twelve inches here, does not create an 
inrush and outgo sufficiently strong to force 
a mixture. However, we are greatly rejoiced 
over the "blessing in disguise" our falling 
mast has proved to be, and although the sup- 
ply is probably moderate and dependent on 
the rains, we shall be able to dispense with the 
boiler, which has begun to give trouble from 
rust and leakage. 

Wednesday. Blye and I went inland among 
the bushes and killed twelve boobies for sup- 
per to-morrow. Breakfast, pork scouse and 
cup of water. Provisions got wet from leak in 
storehouse last night; took tea, coffee, and 
wet bread out to dry. Several showers during 
the day. Mr. Talbot went over to the sand 
(53) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

spit and brought back driftwood and four 
large turtles. Supper, salt beef and two 
dough-balls from mouldy flour. 

Thursday, 10th. Breakfast, salt beef and 
flour-balls. Getting up ship's mainmast for 
flagstaff and lookout. One boat off to the 
wreck. Several rain squalls during day, and 
unable to dry out stores. Supper on boobies 
and flour-balls. 

Friday, 11th. Breakfast, turtle steak and 
a tablespoonful of mashed potatoes. The mast 
was again raised to-day and care taken to 
prevent a repetition of Tuesday's accident. 
Stronger guys were led to heavy, deep-driven 
stakes. A topmast was added and a rope lad- 
der to the crosstrees. Work on the gig pro- 
gressing fast — nearly decked over. Supper, 
turtle, eight goonies, potatoes, and cup of 
tea. 

Saturday^ 12th. Breakfast on fish, turtle 
soup, and mashed potatoes. Supper, seal 
( 54 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

meat and tablespoonful of mashed beans. 
The fish from the reef are voted no good. 
They are brilliantly colored but strong in 
taste, and are said by the captain to be sim- 
ilar to the "parrot fish " that is found among 
our West India coral reefs. Solomon Graves 
says that the parrot fish is poisonous, so it is 
decided to leave them out of our bill of fare. 
Should it become necessary to augment our 
ration it will, no doubt, be done by adding 
the rats, and for myself I believe they will 
improve it. 

Sunday, November 13. Ship breaking up 
rapidly and boats out to pick up driftwood. 
Had prayers (read by Captain S.) at 3 p.m., 
and he addressed us with remarks as to neces- 
sity in our situation of working on Sabbath. 
Thousands of rats about. Put extra night 
watch on storehouse, for fear of further depre- 
dations. 

Monday, 14th. Same diet as yesterday. 
(55) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Aired all clothing. Work on gig pushing, and 
we expect to get her off this week. Every 
one writing letters to send in her. 

Tuesday, 15th. Diet, goonies and turtle, 
with last of potatoes. The gig was launched 
and provisions sent down from storehouse. 
Had a long talk with Talbot. He realizes 
danger of trip, but is brave and confident; 
gave him my revolver. 

Wednesday, 16th. Cup of tea, 7 a.m. and 
breakfast as usual at 10; turtle and gooney; 
Heavy sea on reef, and ship fast disappear- 
ing, boats out picking up driftwood. Had 
to take the condenser and all wood high 
up on the beach. Wind shifted suddenly 
from north to southeast. Gave Talbot two 
hundred dollars in gold coin for possible 
expenses. 

Thursday, November 17. Blowing hard from 
north. Tea at 7 a.m. The gig anchored off 
shore. Mr. Bailey and I fixed up the well 
( 56 ) 



ON THE ISLAND 

where fresh water was found when mast fell; 
good-by to the old condenser. "The little 
cherub that sits up aloft" doing good work 
for us all. 



IV 

THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

Feiday, November 18. The weather has 
been fine since the breaking up of the storm 
of the second. 

As to work, every one has had his duties 
portioned out to him, and there is no doubt 
of the captain's wisdom in providing thus an 
antidote to homesickness or brooding. Faces 
are — some of them — getting "peaked," 
and quite a number of the party have been 
ill from lack of power to digest the seal meat; 
but there are no complaints, we all fare alike. 
Medicines are not to hand, but a day or two 
of abstinence and quiet generally brings one 
around again. In the evenings, when we 
gather around the smoking lamp after supper, 
there are frequent discussions over our situa- 
(58) 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

tion and prospects. They are, however, 
mostly sanguine in tone, and it is not uncom- 
mon to hear the expression "when we get 
home." No one seems to have given up his 
hope of eventual relief. It has been very 
noticeable, too, at such times that no matter 
where the conversation begins it invariably 
swings around, before the word is passed to 
"douse the glim," to those things of which 
we are so completely deprived — to narra- 
tives of pleasant gatherings — stories of ban- 
quets and festival occasions where toothsome 
delicacies were provided. It would seem as 
though these reminiscences were given us as 
a foil to melancholy, and they travel along 
with us into our dreams. 

Upon one point we are all agreed, that we 
are very fortunate in being wrecked in so 
agreeable a climate, where heavy clothing is 
unnecessary. The temperature has been, 
aside from the storm we had soon after the 
(59) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

landing, between seventy and seventy-five 
degrees during the day and around fifty de- 
grees at night. We are very sensible of the 
discomforts that would be ours if tumbled 
upon some of the islands of the northern 
ocean in winter. 

The moonlit nights have been grand, and 
calculated to foster romance in a sailor's 
thoughts were the surroundings appropriate. 
As it is, the little cheer we extract from them 
is in the fact that we see the same shining face 
that is illuminating the home of our loved 
ones. 

Often in my corner of the tent, Mr. Foss 
and I pass what would be a weary hour other- 
wise, over a game of chess, the pieces for 
which he has fashioned from gooney bones 
and blocks of wood. 

Mr. Main has made a wonderful nautical 
instrument — a sextant — from the face of 
the Saginaw's steam gauge, together with 
(60) 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

some broken bits of a stateroom mirror and 
scraps of zinc. Its minute and finely drawn 
scale was made upon the zinc with a cambric 
needle, and the completed instrument is the 
result of great skill and patience. Mr. Talbot 
has tested it and pronounces it suflSciently 
accurate for navigating purposes. 

Another officer has made a duplicate of the 
official chart of this part of the Pacific, and 
still another has copied all the Nautical 
Almanac tables necessary for navigation. 

I have been directed by the captain to 
make a selection from the best-preserved 
supplies in the storehouse most suitable for 
boat service, and calculate that Talbot will 
have the equivalent of thirty-five days' pro- 
vender at one-half rations, although many of 
the articles are not in the regular ration tables. 

This morning the boat was surrounded by 
many men and carried bodily into water that 
was deep enough to float her. There she was 
(61) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

anchored and the stores carried out to her. 
Mr. Butterworth, standing waist deep in the 
water, put on the last finishing touches while 
she was afloat by screwing to the gunwales 
the rowlocks for use in calm weather. 

There was expended from store-book the 
following articles : ten breakers (a small keg) 
of water, five days' rations of hard tack 
sealed in tin, ten days of the same in can- 
vas bags, two dozen small tins of preserved 
meat, five tins (five pounds each) of dessi- 
cated potato, two tins of cooked beans, three 
tins of boiled wheaten grits, one ham, six 
tins of preserved oysters, ten pounds of dried 
beef, twelve tins of lima beans, about five 
pounds of butter, one gallon of molasses, 
twelve pounds of white sugar, four pounds of 
tea and five pounds of coffee. A small tin 
cooking apparatus for burning oil was also 
improvised and furnished. 
' I had intended putting on board twenty- 
( 62 ) 




JAMES BUTTBRWORTH 

Passed Assistant Engineer 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

five pounds of boiled rice in sealed tins, but 

discovered one of tlie tins to be swollen just 

before the provisions were started off. Has- \ 

tily the tins were opened and the rice found 

unfit for use. The dessicated potatoes were at 

once served out in place of the rice, the cans 

scalded and again sealed. 

With the navigating instruments and the 
clothing of the voyagers on board, the boat 
was pronounced ready and we went to dinner. 
There was little conversation during the meal. 
The impending departure of our shipmates 
hung like a pall of gloom over us at the last 
and was too thought-absorbing for speech. 
Talbot seemed to be the most unconcerned 
of all, but as I watched him I felt that the 
brave fellow was assuming it to encourage 
the rest of us. I had a long friendly talk with 
him, last evening, during which he seemed 
thoroughly to estimate the risk he was to take, 
and entrusted to me his will to be forwarded 
( 63 ) 



\ 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

to his parents in Kentucky in case he should 
not survive the journey. 

All hands have been given permission to 
send letters by the boat, so all papers, to- 
gether with a bill of exchange for two hun- 
dred pounds sterling, which by order of the 
captain I have given to Talbot, have been 
sealed air tight in a tin case. I sent the follow- 
ing letter to my home in Philadelphia, which 
I will insert here, as it partially represents the 
state of affairs: — 

You will of course be surprised to receive a let- 
ter from this desert island, but it now has a popu- 
lation of ninety-three men, the Saginaw's crew. 
In short, we were wrecked on the coral reef sur- 
rounding it, and the Saginaw is no more. We left 
Midway Islands on the evening of Friday, October 
28, and the next morning at three o'clock found 
ourselves thumping on the reef. We stayed by the 
ship until daylight, when we got out three boats 
and all the provisions we possibly could. We also 
saved the safe, part of the ship's books, about one 
( 64 ) 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

fourth of my clothing, and my watch. If you could 
see me now you would hardly recognize me : a pair 
of boots almost large enough for two feet in one, 
ragged trousers, an old felt hat, and no coat — I 
keep that for evenings when it is cool. I have my 
best uniform saved, having rescued it to come 
ashore in. We had to wade about two hundred 
feet on the reef, and I stood in water about one 
half of the day helping to pass provisions to the 
boats; then went ashore and spread them on the 
beach to dry. 

We have been living on very short allowance, 
being thankful for a spoonful of beans, a small piece 
of meat twice a day, with a cup of tea or coflfee in 
the morning. I am indeed thankful that no lives 
were lost, and hope to see you all in three months* 
time. The gig has been decked over and is to 
start for Honolulu, to-morrow or next day, for 
relief. 

Ocean Island is similar in formation to Midway, 
but is larger and the coral reef is farther from the 
land. 

We had for breakfast this morning some of the 
brown albatross or "goonies," as they call them. 
(65) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

We shall not want for meat for some time, as there 
is an abundance of fish seal and turtle, but the 
flour, rice, and hard bread will not last more than 
two and one half months. 

I hope this will reach you before you get anxious 
about us, for if the gig should not be successful we 
may have to stay here until the middle of March. 
I shall send this in her to be mailed from Hono- 
lulu. Our executive officer and four men go in her, 
and a perilous trip it will be, for she is only twenty 
feet long and the distance is over a thousand miles. 
Look us up on the map. 

Most of our sails were saved and we are com- 
paratively comfortable in good tents. I am well 
but hungry. We have dug wells, but found no 
fresh water. However, we are getting some from 
a condenser fitted by our chief engineer. Alto- 
gether we have more conveniences than might be 
expected and are in good health generally. I 
should like to write to friends, but space in the 
boat is scarce and everybody is writing. 

The hour set for the boat's departure (four 
o'clock) arrived and we were all mustered 
( 66) 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

upon the beach. Prayers were read by the 
captain, after which final farewells were said 
and the brave men who were to peril their 
lives for us waded off to the gig and climbed 
on board. They quickly stepped the little 
masts, spread the miniature sails, raised their 
anchor, and slowly gaining headway stood 
off for the western channel through the reef. 
With full hearts and with many in tears, we 
gave them three rousing cheers and a tiger, 
which were responded to with spirit, and we 
watched them until the boat faded from sight 
on the horizon to the northward. 

As I write this by the dim light of a candle 
the mental excitement due from the parting 
with our shipmates seems still to pervade the 
tent and no one is thinking of turning in. 

Mr. Bailey, the foreman of the contractor's 

party, came into the tent soon after we had 

gathered for the evening. He had in his hand 

a small book and on his face a smile as he 

(67) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

passed it around, showing each one an open 
page of the book; when he reached me I saw 
it was a pocket Bible opened at the fifty-first 
chapter of Isaiah, where Mr. B.'s finger 
rested under the words, "The isles shall wait 
upon me and on my arm shall they trust." 
He did not speak until I had read, and then 
said he had opened the Bible by chance, as 
was his habit every evening. Poor Bailey! 
We all feel very sorry for him. He is a fine 
character, well advanced in years; and having 
by economy accumulated considerable money, 
had bought himself a home, before coming 
out, to which he was intending to retire when 
this contract was completed. 

By invitation from the captain I accom- 
panied him in walking around the entire 
island, avoiding, however, the extreme point 
to the westward, where albatross were nesting. 
He talked but little, and I saw that his eyes 
often turned to the spot where the gig had 
(68) 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

disappeared froin view. As we separated in 
front of his little tent he said with a voice 
full of pathos to me, " Good-night, Paymas- 
ter; God grant that we see them again." 

I find that I have so far omitted to give the 
personnel of Talbot's crew. As stated before 
there were many volunteers, but the surgeon 
was ordered to select from a list given him 
four of the most vigorous and sturdy of the 
applicants and report their names to the cap- 
tain. There was considerable rivalry among 
them. In fact I was accidentally a witness to 
a hard-fought wrestling-match between two 
of the crew who sought the honor of going 
and risking their lives. The defeated one, I 
was told, was to waive his claim in favor of 
the victor. 

The following letter, which has gone in the 
boat from our captain to the Admiral of the 
Pacific fleet, gives the personnel of the boat's 
crew and other information. 
( 69 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Ocean Island, Pacific Ocean, 
November 16, 1870. 
Rear Admiral John A. Winslow, 
Commanding Pacific Fleet. 

Sir : — I have the honor to recommend that the 
attention of the Department be particularly called 
to the fine conduct of Lieutenant J. G. Talbot. 
The day after the wreck of the Saginaw, Lieu- 
tenant Talbot came to me and volunteered to take 
one of the ship's boats to Honolulu in order to 
bring back relief for the oflScers and crew of the 
vessel. He has been most zealous and spirited 
through this whole affair and of the greatest 
assistance to me. 

His boat (by the usual route at this season) will 
probably have to sail and pull some fifteen hun- 
dred miles, and I think some recognition of his 
handsome conduct would be proper. 

The names of the crew are as follows : — Lieu- 
tenant J. G. Talbot; Coxswain William Halford; 
Quartermaster Peter Francis; Seaman John 
Andrews; Seaman James Muir. The last two are 
contractor's men and were specially enlisted by me 
from Mr. Townsend's party for one month. They 
(70) 



THE SAILING OF THE GIG 

were men of such fine qualities and endurance that 
I thought it proper to let them go. 

The enlistment was made with the express un- 
derstanding between myself and them that it did 
not interfere with their previous contract with Mr. 
Townsend. 

I am very respectfully. 
Your obedient servant, 

Montgomery Sicard, 
Lieut.-Comd'r-commanding. 



WAITING 

Thursday, November Q4i. Thanksgiving 
Day — at home; the noble bird, roast turkey, 
has not graced our tarpaulin-covered table. 
He has been replaced by a tough section of 
albatross. Nor was there any expression of 
thanks at the mess table until one of the 
officers, having finished the extra cup of 
coffee served in honor of the day, said, "Say, 
fellows, let's be thankful that we are alive, 
well and still with hope." 

Last evening about nine o'clock we were 
given another flurry of excitement over ex- 
pected relief. The storehouse sentry reported 
a light to the eastward and in a "jiffy" our 
tent was empty. Sure enough, there was a 
bright light close to the horizon which, as 
( 72 ) 



WAITING 

we watched, appeared to grow larger and 
nearer. The captain was called, and I joined 
him with Mr. Cogswell (our new executive 
officer since Talbot left) in front of his tent. 
After watching the light for a few minutes, 
the captain turned to us and said, "Gentle- 
men, it is only a star rising and the atmo- 
sphere is very clear. Better turn in again "; 
and he entered the tent. 

Sunday, November 27. Last Sunday and to- 
day we have had divine service led by the cap- 
tain reading the prayers of the Episcopal ritual. 

{Note. — I find nothing but the Thanks- 
giving note in my journal after the departure 
of the gig until November 27, other than 
official entries of receipts and expenditures of 
food, — the receipt of seals and albatross 
killed by Mr. Blye and his detail of men; the 
expenditure being the same with the daily 
allowance of flour or beans and the coffee for 
the noon meal.) 

( 73 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Work has been steadily pushed on the 
schooner. The keel has been hewed out of the 
Saginaw's late topmast and is blocked up on 
the beach. We are ripping the old deck planks 
in two with our old bucksaw and one handsaw, 
and while it is slow work we can see our boat 
planking ahead of us when the frame is ready. 
The schooner is to be forty feet long, of centre- 
board, flat-bottomed type, and the captain 
has settled upon her shape and dimensions 
after experimenting with a small model in 
company with the contractor's carpenter, 
who has had experience in boat-building. 

This morning about sunrise the camp was 
roused to excitement by the loud cry of "Sail 
ho!" I found on joining the crowd at the 
landing that the captain had ordered a boat 
launched and her crew were already pulling 
away in a northerly direction. 

I could see nothing from the crow's nest at 
the masthead, but the statement of one of the 
(74) 




RIPPING TIMBERS FOR THE SCHOONER 



R.' 










A 




;^^^&.-— 



THE FRAME OF THE SCHOONER AS WE LEFT IT 



WAITING 

crew that he had seen a sail was positive; and 
the camp was full of a nervous expectancy 
until nine o'clock, when the boat returned 
with the disappointing news that the alleged 
sail was only a large white rock on the north 
end of the reef that had reflected the sun's 
rays. As the sun rose to a greater angle the 
reflection disappeared. An order was at once 
given out that no one should again alarm the 
camp before permission from the captain was 
obtained. 

Sunday, December 25. Christmas Day!! 
Merry Christmas at home, but dreary enough 
here! Still the salutation was passed around 
in a half-hearted manner. It is the first day 
since the wreck that depression- of spirit has 
been so contagious and camp-wide. The 
religious services, as we stood in the sand 
bareheaded (some barefooted also), hardly 
seemed to fit our situation, and the voice of 
the captain was subdued and occasionally 
(75) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

tremulous. I had donned my best uniform 
coat, which had come ashore when the wreck 
was stripped, and tried also to put on a cheer- 
ful face. No use; I could not keep up the 
deceit, and I slipped out of line before the 
service was ended, to change back to the blue 
sailor shirt and working clothes. I felt that I 
had been "putting on airs." It has been my 
first really blue day, for the pictures in my 
mind of the Christmas festivities at home 
but emphasized the desolation of the life 
here. 

Strangely enough. Dr. Frank has seemed to 
a certain extent to be more cheerful than 
usual. It seems queer that he, pessimist as he 
appeared to me when he predicted disaster 
before we sailed from the Midway Islands, 
should now be the optimist and attempt to 
dispel our gloom. Some expert in psychical 
research may be able to discern, as I cannot, 
why the doctor's belief in Talbot's success 
(76) 



WAITING 

should now have influence enough to change 
my melancholy into a firmer hope than ever. 

We borrowed the chart from the captain 
and followed in pure imagination the course 
of the gig; and when we folded it, the doctor 
said that he believed Talbot had arrived at 
the end of his journey and we should be re- 
lieved. Talbot has now been away thirty- 
seven days, and our several estimates of the 
time he would consunje have been between 
thirty and forty. 

Every afternoon, when work is suspended 
for the day and we have repaired to the tent, 
the expression of Talbot's whereabouts is the 
first note of discussion; as though it had not 
been in our minds all the long weary day of 
work. 

As the possible failure of Talbot's brave 

effort begins to enter our calculations, the 

greater is the exertion to provide in the near 

future another avenue of escape. So, with 

( 77 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

gradually weakened strength, owing to lack 
of sustaining food, the labor we find arduous 
and exhausting; I, being included in the car- 
penter's gang on the schooner, realize that 
fact thoroughly. Yesterday the captain and 
myself made another circuit of the island, 
and both were glad to rest on the return to 
the camp. 

The captain has ordered the cutter to be 
also fitted for a voyage to the Midway Islands. 
There he intends to have a sign erected stat- 
ing, briefly, our situation ; to serve in case the 
Navy Department should send (as we expect 
it will) a searching vessel for us. Twice every 
day I have climbed the rope ladder on the 
mast and searched with anxious eyes through 
my rescued opera glasses the shipless horizon; 
sometimes with such a strain of nerves and 
hope that phantom vessels plague my vision. 
The loneliness and solitude of the vast ex- 
panse of water surrounding us is beyond 
(78) 



WAITING 

expression. Truly, it is the desert of the 
Pacific Ocean, and more dangerous than that 
upon the land, for there are no trails or guide- 
posts for the weary traveler when the sky is 
obscured. One might easily fancy that be- 
yond the line of the horizon there exists only 
infinite space. As the Prince of the Happy 
Valley observes in "Rasselas," after an ocean 
voyage, "There is no variety but the dijffer- 
ence between rest and motion." 

I do not remember the cry of "Sail ho!" 
during all of our cruising between the Ha- 
waiian and Midway Islands save in the vicin- 
ity of the former. 

The rats are more in evidence of late. At 
first small and timid, they are now growing 
larger and bolder; running about and over us 
in the tents during the night. We are getting 
quite accustomed to their visits, however, 
and, rolling ourselves in blankets or whatever 
covering we have, pay small attention to them. 
( 79 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

If we stay here, though, our attention will 
become more acute; for they begin to loom up 
in importance as a food supply. 

The seal, on the contrary, are growing less 
in numbers, although great care has been 
taken not to frighten them away. Also, we 
have not lately attempted fishing on the reef, 
for fear of reducing their food. We have been 
prevented from trying the eggs of the alba- 
tross, that their nesting may continue without 
interruption. They will probably leave, too, 
when the hatching season is over and the 
young have been taught to fly. 

So far as our present ration is concerned, 
with the exception of beans, flour, and coffee 
from which our small daily issue is made, we 
are situated as though no provisions had been 
rescued from the wreck; for the captain has 
wisely ordered that all the rest must be held 
intact to provision the schooner. So, with all 
the nerve we can muster, the work on the 
(80) 



WAITING 

schooner is being pushed. To-day the frame 
stands ready for the planking, and the captain 
thinks that in another week her mast can be 
ready for stepping. 

Last Thursday we had our second most 
violent wind and rainstorm. It came with 
hurricane force from the eastward, and the 
tremendous sea crossed the reef and reached 
our beach with considerable energy left in it. 
Our schooner that is to be, with her frame 
almost completed, was perilously near the 
waves, and all hands were called. We turned 
out in the storm and carried her bodily higher 
up on the beach and breathed more at ease 
when we saw the seas diminish with the dying 
wind. 

Mr. Blye has been, to-day, our Santa Claus, 
and with several others I have received a 
Christmas present of great value. As before 
noted, there came on shore from the wreck 
when it was being stripped a box of Manila 
(81 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

cigars, and it has been supposed that they 
were all distributed by the generous owner 
and had been smoked. To-day, however, Mr. 
Blye discovered that three of them lay in the 
bottom of his chest, and to be impartial he 
divided them into three parts each and doled 
them out. My present was thankfully and 
cheerfully accepted, and while I am writing 
my journal, is passing off in wreaths of hope 
above my head. 

Mr. Bailey and myself have for several 
days been having the joint use of an old clay 
pipe he had saved, and we have been trying 
to smoke the dried leaves and bark of the 
bushes around us. It is a failure with me. 
Now much has been said by learned men for 
as well as against the use of tobacco, but I 
do not hesitate to testify to its great value in 
conditions such as ours. It has been a cheer- 
ing companion to our thoughts in solitude, 
and a comfort in depression of spirits. I have 
( 82 ) 



WAITING 

even seen one man offer his only coat for a 
piece of plug about the size of a silver dollar. 

Sunday, January 1. 1871. New Year's Day 
— "Happy New Year"! I think no one but 
the marine sentry at the storehouse saw the 
birth of the new year or cared to see the new 
year come in. For myself I hope there will be 
no more holidays to chronicle here except it 
may be the one that liberates us from these 
surroundings. They have — the three we have 
had here — aroused too many sombre reflec- 
tions in contrasting those of the past with the 
present. 

Talbot has now been away forty-three days 
and it seems almost beyond probability that 
he should have reached the Sandwich Islands 
before the food was exhausted. There is a 
lingering hope, however, that some delay in 
starting relief for us may have occurred or 
that he may have reached some island other 
than Oahu, where Honolulu is situated, and 
( 83 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

that communication with Oahu may be lim- 
ited. We are "threshing out" the whole sit- 
uation to-night in earnest discussion between 
the sanguine and non-sanguine members of 
the mess. 



VI 

RESCUED 

Tuesday, January 3. At midnight. It is 
near an impossibility sanely and calmly to 
write up my journal to-night — my nerves 
are shaken and my pencil falters. I have 
climbed into the storehouse to get away from 
the commotion in the tent and all over the 
camp. No one can possibly sleep, for I can 
see through a rent in the canvas men dancing 
around a huge fire on the highest point of the 
island, and hear them cheering and singing 
while feeding the fire with timbers that we 
have been regarding as worth their weight in 
coin. To a looker-on the entire camp would 
seem to have gone crazy. I will tell what I 
can now and the rest some other time. 

At half-past three this afternoon I was 
(85) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

working on the schooner near Mr. Mitchell, 
one of the carpenters of the contractor's 
party. I was handing him a nail when I 
noticed his eyes steadily fixed on some point 
seaward. He paid no attention to me, and his 
continued gaze induced me to turn my eyes 
in the same direction to find what was so 
attractive as to cause his ignoring me. I saw 
then, too, something that held my gaze. Far 
off to the northeast and close to the horizon 
there was something like a shadow that had 
not been there when I had last visited the 
lookout. It appeared as a faintly outlined 
cloud, and as we both watched with idle tools 
in our hands it seemed to grow in size and 
density. Very soon he spoke in a low voice, 
as though not wishing to give a false alarm: 
"Paymaster, I believe that is the smoke of a 
steamer," and after another look, "I am sure 
of it"; and then arose a shout that all could 
hear, "Sail ho!" 

(86) 





f 
/ 

/' 














„::?X;.«««*«A^ws'^'" 


«-«*» 


.J' 


•-_y— «< 


,-" ~ 


»■'»» -^sw*— — 




i - 1. - 


-'-i- 







THE FLAGSTAFF FROM WHICH THE KILAUEA WAS 
SIGHTED 







CAMP SAGINAW ON THE DAY OF RESCUE 



RESCUED 

The order concerning alarms was forgotten 
in his excitement, but as the captain stood 
near and his face beamed with his own joy, 
no notice was taken of the violation. He 
directed me at once to visit the lookout, and I 
did so, rapidly securing my glasses. By the 
time I reached the top of the mast I could see 
that the shadow we had watched was devel- 
oping into a long and well-marked line of 
smoke and that a steamer was headed to the 
westward in front of it. I notified the eager, 
inquiring crowd at the foot of the mast and 
still kept my glasses trained on the steamer 
until her smokestack came into view. She 
was not heading directly for us, and I cannot 
describe the anxiety with which I watched to 
see if she was going to pass by, — my heart 
was thumping so that one could hear it. I 
could not believe she would fail to see our 
signal of distress that waved above me, and 
pass on to leave us stricken with despair. 
(87) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

When she arrived at a point nearly to the 
north of us, I saw her change her course until 
her masts were in line, and then I shouted the 
fact to those below, for it was evident she 
was bound for Ocean Island. 

The long dreary suspense was over; our 
relief was near, and I slid down the Jacob's 
ladder, pale and speechless. The few moments 
of tense watchfulness had seemed to me like 
hours of suspense, and it is slight wonder that 
it took some time to recover my speech. WTien 
I did so I acquainted the captain with all I 
had seen. By the time I had completed my 
statement the steamer was in view from the 
ground, and then I witnessed such a scene as 
will never be forgotten. 

Rough-looking men — many of them hav- 
ing faced the shocks of storm and battle — 
all of them having passed through our recent 
misfortunes without a murmur of complaint 
— were embracing each other with tears of 
( 88 ) 



RESCUED 

joy running down their cheeks, while laugh- 
ing, singing, and dancing. 

I was at once ordered to break into our 
supplies and issue the best meal to all hands 
that I could concoct. This I certainly did 
with haste, and after our supper of boiled 
salt pork, flour, and beans, finished off with a 
cup of coffee, I felt as I might after a Del- 
monico dinner. It was a much-interrupted 
meal, however, for some one or more were 
continually rushing out of the tent and re- 
turning to report to the rest the movements 
of the steamer. By the time we had finished 
supper she was very near and was recognized 
as the Ejlauea, a vessel belonging to the King 
of the Sandwich Islands. She came within 
half a mile of the reef where the Saginaw was 
wrecked and dipped her flag and then slowly 
steamed away in a southerly direction. This 
manoeuvre we understood, for, as it was get- 
ting late in the day, our rescuers were evi- 
(89 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

dently intending to return to-morrow and 
avoid the danger of a night near the reef. Our 
captain has ordered a fire to be kept in good 
blazing order throughout the night as a 
beacon. 

Thursday, January 5. On board the Kil- 
auea (pronounced Kilaway) at sea. It was 
next to impossible yesterday to make any 
entries in my journal, and even this evening 
I have been compelled to ask Captain Long 
for the temporary use of his stateroom, owing 
to the tumult in the cabin and on deck; 
because I wish to record events while they 
are fresh in my memory. So much excite- 
ment and so many incidents were crowded 
in during the time we were rapidly collecting 
our effects and embarking on the Kilauea that 
it is difficult to note them in order. 

The Kilauea appeared at daybreak and 
anchored near the west entrance of the 
lagoon, and very soon after her captain came 
(90) 




CAPTAI]V LONG 

Commander of the Kilauea 



RESCUED 

to our landing-place in a whaleboat. I recog- 
nized in him an old Honolulu friend, — Cap- 
tain Thomas Long, a retired whaling captain, 
and as he stepped from his boat, we gave him 
three rousing cheers while we stood at atten- 
tion near the fringe of bushes around the 
camp. Captain Sicard went down the beach 
alone to receive him, and after a cordial 
greeting, they conferred together for a few 
minutes. Together they came towards us 
apparently in sober thought, and Captain 
Sicard held up his hand as a signal for silence. 
He uncovered his head and said, in a tremu- 
lous voice, "Men, I have the great sorrow to 
announce to you that we have been saved at 
a great sacrifice. Lieutenant Talbot and three 
of the gig's crew are dead. The particulars 
you will learn later; at present. Captain Long 
is anxious for us to remove to the Kilauea as 
quickly as possible." He bowed his head and 
a low murmur of grief passed along our line. 
(91) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

From a cheering, happy crowd we were as in 
an instant changed to one of mourning. All 
the dreary waiting days we have passed 
seemed to fade into insignificance in the face 
of this great sorrow. 

Captain Long inquired if anything was 
needed immediately, stating that a generous 
supply of food and clothing had been rushed 
on board the Kilauea in Honolulu, and that 
she had started to sea eight hours after he 
had been notified of her mission. One of the 
oflScers told him that the thing that would 
best supply a long-felt want was tobacco; 
so the Kilauea's boat was at once dispatched 
to the steamer for a box of it, which when 
opened on the beach was greedily appropri- 
ated. 

I went off to the Kilauea in the first of the 

embarking boats, taking the ship's safe and 

papers that had been stored at the head of my 

mattress in the tent; therefore did not see the 

( 92 ) 



RESCUED 

final disposition of articles left on the island; 
but they suddenly lost all interest to me and, 
beyond the fact that our water supply was 
labeled with a sign for future unfortunates, 
I know but little. The captain tells me that 
Captain Long demurred at the length of time 
it would take to bring off most of the govern- 
ment property, saying that his duty to us 
and to his vessel made it necessary to get 
away from this dangerous neighborhood at 
the earliest possible moment; the rescue of 
life and not property was his object in coming 
to us. So our food supply and many articles 
of equipment were collected and stored at the 
highest point of the island. 

When I reached the Kjlauea I was served 
with a good meal, of which I ate sparingly; 
and, having deposited the safe in a near cor- 
ner of the cabin, "turned in" on a near berth, 
boots and all, sleeping through all the tur- 
moil made when the others came off. And so 
( 93 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

we sailed away at dusk to the eastward, 
turning our backs on the desolate home where 
we had suffered for sixty-seven days. 

I have learned that a fast-sailing schooner, 
Kona, was dispatched on Saturday evening 
under charter by the American Minister, 
eight hours after the arrival of Halford. Our 
consul and vice-consul, with other friends, 
however, prevailed upon the United States 
Minister, Mr. Pierce, to accept the offer of 
the Kilauea by the King; urging as a reason 
that there was no certainty of our being in a 
condition to await the slow progress of a 
sailing-vessel; that there might be sickness 
and even starvation in our party. The Kil- 
auea was hastily coaled and sailed on Mon- 
day. 

{Note. The Kona was sighted in the offing 
as we were leaving Ocean Island, and running 
down to her Captain Long ordered her back 
to Honolulu.) 

( 94 ) 



RESCUED 

On the way to Honolulu, while sitting in 
the pilot house of the Kilauea, I overheard a 
conversation on deck between two of the 
Saginaw's men concerning the superstition 
connected with sailing on Friday. "What 
better proof," said one of them, "would you 
have of its being an unlucky day than in the 
case of the Saginaw? She sailed from the 
Midway Islands on a Friday, and two days 
afterward she lay a total wreck among the 
breakers of Ocean Island. The gig that went 
for help also started on Friday, and what was 
the result .f^ Four out of the five brave boys 
who manned her came to an untimely end — 
how Halford escaped is a mystery to me; but 
I guess he'll think twice before venturing on 
another voyage on that day of the week." 
I said to myself that I would think twice, too, 
unless I was starting under orders. 



VII 

THE FATE OF THE GIG 

Honolulu, January 28, 1871. Perhaps 
some reader may deem the story of the Sagi- 
naw's last cruise complete. I cannot, how- 
ever, consider it so while lacking the sorrowful 
story of our comrades' voyage in the gig, 
with its fatal ending as told by Halford, the 
sole survivor. Nor would it be less than in- 
gratitude to pass unnoticed the fact of our 
hearty reception when we arrived here on the 
fourteenth, well fed and well clothed through 
the generous exertions of our friends. The 
King, his Cabinet, and most of the population 
were on the wharves as the Kilauea steamed 
into the harbor. The cheers and hat-waving 
were but the prelude to a most cordial and 
affectionate greeting when we landed in the 
( 96 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

midst of the throng. Several of the officers 
were at once seized upon and taken to the 
homes of their old-time friends. When I could 
elude the crowd I was whisked away in a 
carriage to the Nuuanu Valley home of Mr. 
John Paty, and there rested in luxury and 
comfort until to-day, when we are to sail on 
the steamer Moses Taylor. In recognition, of 
his great kindness as well as to illustrate the 
comfortable style of the island homes, I in- 
sert a picture of Mr. Paty's bungalow. 

On Thursday our captain and several offi- 
cers were received in audience by the King, 
and in acknowledgment of the great kindness 
shown us, the following address was pre- 
sented. 

Our captain said : — 

In behalf of the rear admiral commanding the 

Pacific fleet, I desire to thank your Majesty for 

the most courteous offer of the steamer Kilauea 

to go to the assistance of the shipwrecked crew of 

( 97 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

the United States Ship Saginaw on Ocean Island. 
It was a most welcome and opportune relief to the 
company of United States officers and seamen 
there in distress; a proof of your Majesty's friendly 
feeling toward our Navy. I am sure your Majesty's 
kind and humane intentions were most efficiently 
carried out by the very capable and intelligent 
officer with his officers and crew sent in command 
of the Kilauea. I must ask your Majesty, also, to 
accept my thanks and those of my officers and 
men for the sympathy shown us in our probable 
distress; for the personal interest taken by you in 
the speedy dispatch of the Kilauea. Your Majes- 
ty's Minister of the Interior, also, manifested the 
strongest interest in our relief; to his energetic 
and efficient efiForts was it due that your inten- 
tions were so promptly carried into effect. 

At Ocean Island we recognized your Majesty's 
ship as soon as she appeared on the horizon. Our 
feelings of gratitude may perhaps be imagined, 
but can only be thoroughly appreciated by those 
who have been placed in a similar situation. On 
our arrival in port we were welcomed with the 
most warm-hearted cordiality, and since have 
(98) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

received abundant proofs of the kind feelings of 
the Hawaiian people. 

One ojBicer and four men belonging to my vessel 
bravely and generously volunteered on a long sea 
voyage in a small boat for the relief of their ship- 
mates. These finally, with one exception, made 
sacrifice of their lives upon the shores of the island 
of Kauai. Your Majesty's subjects on that island 
received the survivor of the boat's crew with great 
kindness and hospitality. They were most solicit- 
ous to recover the remains of my oflBcer and his 
men, and to inter them in a suitable and Christian 
manner. I desire again to return thanks for all that 
has been done for the Saginaw's officers and crew. 

His Majesty replied to the captain as 
follows : — 

Captain — I am pleased to see you here to-day 
and congratulate you and the officers and crew of 
the late United States Ship Saginaw upon the 
delivery from their unpleasant position upon a 
desolate island. I am glad that my Government 
has been enabled to render you assistance. The 
officers of your Service in this ocean have always 
(99) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

shown themselves prompt to go to the assistance 
of distressed men of all nations, and I have lately 
had a proof of their prompt humanity in the offer 
of Captain Truxton, of the ship Jamestown, to 
assist some of my subjects in the Micronesian 
Islands, and in the efficient aid which he rendered 
them. Such interchanges tend to promote per- 
sonal and national friendship. 

I sympathize with you. Captain, for the loss 
of your ship — a misfortune always keenly felt 
by a sensitive officer, however unavoidable it may 
have been. I sympathize with you for the loss of 
the gallant officer and men who, after a long voy- 
age in an open boat, met their death on the shores 
of Kauai. Such examples of devotion to duty are 
a rich legacy to all men. Permit me, Captain, to 
express a hope that you and your officers who 
have shared with you your service in this ocean 
for some time past and your peril in the late ship- 
wreck may live to attain the highest honors in 
your profession. 

On Saturday last there was held a sale by a 
local auctioneer of such articles belonging to 
( 100 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

the Navy Department as we were able to 
bring away from Ocean Island. Among them 
was included the gig which Halford brought 
from the island of Kauai. We were surprised 
to learn later that the boat had been bid in 
by a syndicate of our friends for presentation 
to us as a souvenir. It has been accepted and 
we are considering plans for its future preserv- 
ation. I went down to the dock yesterday 
to see it prepared for shipment, and its sad 
story was almost told in the scars upon it. 
Its bow was bound with iron straps and a 
large gap in the starboard side was covered 
with canvas. Its wounds seemed almost as 
making a mute appeal for sympathy, and ex- 
pressed the struggle it had gone through. 

Halford' s Story 

When we left Ocean Island, November 18th, 

we ran to the north to latitude 32°, there took 

the westerly winds and ran east to, as Mr. 

(101) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Talbot supposed, the longitude of Kauai 
(Kowee), but it proved ultimately that we 
were not within a degree of that longitude. 
We then stood south. Five days out we lost 
all light and fire and had no means of making 
either — no dry tinder or wood, although we 
had flint and steel. About five or six days 
before making Kauai we succeeded in getting 
a light with a glass taken from an opera glass. 
We suffered much from wet, cold, and want of 
food. The ten days' ration of bread in a can- 
vas bag was mostly spoiled; the two tins of 
cooked beans could not be eaten, causing 
dysentery, as did also the boiled wheat; the 
gallon of molasses leaked out, and the sugar, 
tea, and coffee were spoiled by wetting. To 
the dessicated potato, five five-pound tins of 
which were given us at the last moment before 
sailing, we attributed the preservation of our 
lives from starvation. For the last week it 
was all we had, mixed with a little fresh water. 
( 102 ) 




STARBOARD SIDE OF THE GIG AFTER HER EVENTFUL 
JOURNEY 




DECK VIEW OF THE GIG AFTER HER EVENTFUL JOURNEY 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

We had heavy weather while running to 
the eastward; hove to with the sea anchor 
twice, the last time lost it. We then made 
another drag from three oars, which was also 
lost. Then we made still another from two 
oars and a square of sail by crossing them. 
That lasted for three turns of bad weather; 
but the third time it broke adrift and all was 
lost. 

Mr. Talbot was ill with diarrhoea for seven 
or eight days, but got better, although he 
continued to suffer much from fatigue and 
hardship. He was somewhat cheerful the 
whole passage. Muir and Andrews were sick 
for two or three weeks. Francis was always 
well. 

We did not make land within a week of 
what we expected. The first land we saw was 
KawaihuaRock, at the southern end of Niihau 
(Neehow) Island, on Friday morning, Decem- 
ber 16th. We stood north by east, with the 
( 103 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

island in sight all day. During that night and 
Saturday stood northeast by north, and on 
Saturday night headed east and south south- 
east. 

Sunday morning the wind allowed us to 
head southeast with the island of Kauai in 
sight, and Sunday night we were off the Bay 
of Halalea on the north coast. We then hove 
to with head to the northwest, the wind hav- 
ing hauled to the westward. We laid thus 
until eleven p.m. It being my watch on deck, 
I called Mr. Talbot and told him that the 
night was clear and I could see the entrance 
to Halalea Harbor. He ordered the boat to 
be kept away and steered for the entrance. 
As we came near the entrance it clouded up 
and became dark, so we hove to again with 
head to the northwest. At one a.m. I called 
my relief . Andrews and Francis came on deck, 
as did also Mr. Talbot. After I went below 
the boat was again kept away toward the 
( 104 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

land for a short time and again hove to. At 
a Httle past two a.m. Sunday morning she was 
kept away again for the third time. I re- 
mained below until I felt from the boat's 
motion that she was getting into shoal water. 
Then I awoke Muir and told him it was time 
we went on deck. He did not go, but I did. 
Just as I got to the cockpit a sea broke 
aboard abaft. Mr. Talbot ordered to bring 
the boat by the wind. I hauled aft the main 
sheet with Francis at the helm and the boat 
came up into wind. Just then another breaker 
broke on board and capsized the boat. An- 
drews and Francis were washed away and 
were never afterwards seen. Muir was still 
below, and did not get clear until the boat 
was righted, when he gave symptoms of in- 
sanity. Before the boat was righted by the 
sea Mr. Talbot was clinging to the bilge of 
the boat and I called him to go to the stern 
and there get up on the bottom. While he 
( 105 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

was attempting to do so he was washed off 
and sank. He was heavily clothed and much 
exhausted. He made no cry. I succeeded in 
getting on to the bottom and stripped myself 
of my clothes. Just then the sea came and 
righted the boat. It was then that Muir put 
his head up the cockpit, when I assisted him 
on deck. Soon afterward another breaker 
came and again upset the boat; she going over 
twice, the last time coming upright and headed 
on to the breakers. We then found her to be 
inside of the large breakers, and we drifted 
toward the shore at a place called Kalihi 
Kai, about five miles from Hanalei. I landed 
with the water breast-high and took with 
me a tin case of dispatches and letters. On 
board there was a tin box with its cover 
broken containing navigation books, charts, 
etc., also Captain Sicard's instructions to 
Lieutenant Talbot, with others, among which 
were Muir's and Andrews's discharge papers; 
( 106 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

they having been shipped November 15th for 
one month. (They belong to the contractors, 
in whose employ they were previous to that 
time.) This box also contained Francis's and 
my transfer papers and accounts destined for 
the Mare Island Navy Yard. This box with 
everything not lashed fell into the water 
when we were first upset. 

I landed about three a.m., but saw no one 
until daybreak, when, seeing some huts, I 
went to them and got assistance to get the 
boat onto the beach. I had previously, by 
making five trips to the boat, succeeded in 
bringing ashore the long tin case first men- 
tioned, the chronometer, opera glasses, baro- 
meter, one ship's compass, boat's binnacle 
compass, and had also assisted Muir to the 
shore. He was still insane, saying but little and 
that incoherently. He groaned a great deal. 

I was now much exhausted and laid myself 
down to rest until sunrise, when I looked for 
( 107 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Muir and found him gone from the place I 
left him. Soon after I found him surrounded 
by several natives, but he was dead and very 
black in the face. 

During the day I got some food and cloth- 
ing from the natives — one of them called 
Peter. After resting myself Peter and I went 
on horseback over to Hanalei to Sheriff Wil- 
cox and Mr. Burt. Then we returned with 
the sheriff and coroner to Kalihi Kai, where 
an inquest was held over the bodies of Lieu- 
tenant Talbot and Muir, the former having 
drifted ashore just before I left Kalihi Kai 
for Hanalei. Mr. Talbot's forehead was 
bruised and blackened, apparently from hav- 
ing struck the boat or wreckage. 

After the inquest the two bodies were taken 
to Hanalei, put into coffins and buried the 
next ^ day in one grave at a place where a sea- 
man belonging to the U.S.S. Lackawanna 
was buried in 1867. Funeral services were 
( 108 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

performed by Mr. Kenny by reading the 
Episcopal burial service, and the two Misses 
Johnson (daughters of an American mission- 
ary) singing. 

Before I left Hanalei for Honolulu it was 
reported by a half- white who had been left to 
watch the shore at Kalihi Kai that Andrews's 
body had come ashore and had been taken 
care of. 

Captain Dudoit, the schooner Wainona, 
offered to bring me direct to Honolulu, leav- 
ing his return freight at Wainiea for another 
trip. I accepted the same through Mr. Bent, 
and we sailed for Honolulu on the evening 
of Tuesday, December 20, and arrived at 
Honolulu at eleven a.m., December 24, 
bringing with me the effects saved as afore- 
mentioned. I went, on landing, immediately 
to the United States Consul's office, where I 
saw him and the Minister President and told 
to them my story. 

( 109 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

(Note. The reader may remember the inci- 
dent I related as occurring at the time we 
were provisioning the gig; the discovery that 
the boiled rice had fermented and the hasty 
substitution of the dessicated potatoes. Hal- 
ford was emphatic to me in the assertion that 
the potato was the preserver of their lives and 
that mixed with water it constituted their 
only food during the last week of their suffer- 
ings. The dessicated potato was at that time 
a part of the Navy ration. It was also called 
"evaporated," and was prepared by thor- 
oughly drying the potato and coarsely grind- 
ing it. In appearance it resembles a very 
coarse meal.) 

Halford has told me of several remarkable 
incidents which happened during the voyage 
of the gig and which, although not considered 
essential in his official statement, would be 
lifelong memories to him. 
( 110 ). 




WILLIAM HALFORD 

The only survivor of the gig's crew. (Now a retired chief gunner in 
the Navy.) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

Of one of these he says — and I give his 
own words: "We were scudding before a gale 
of wind under a reefed square sail. A nasty 
sea was running at the time. I was standing 
in the after hatch steering; had the reeving 
string of the cover that was nailed around the 
combings drawn tight under my armpits to 
keep out the sea as it washed over the boat, 
when I felt a shock. The boat almost cap- 
sized, but the next sea lifted her over. I 
looked astern and saw a great log forty or 
fifty feet long and four or five feet in diame- 
ter, water-logged and just awash. We had 
jumped clean over it. It was a case of touch 
and go with us." 

Of another incident he says: "One night 
I had relieved Peter Francis at the tiller and 
he had crawled forward on deck. Somehow 
or other he got overboard; luckily we had a 
strong fishing-line trailing astern all the 
voyage, but never got as much as a bite until 
( 111 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

it caught Francis and we got him on board 
again. It was a bright moonhght night." 

Of another happening he says: "Then, 
when our provisions had run out entirely, a 
large bird came and landed on the boat and 
looked at me as I stood at the tiller. The 
other four at this time were very weak from 
want of food and from dysentery; they were 
more dead than alive. I caught the bird, tore 
off the feathers, cut it up in five pieces, and 
we all had a good meal. It was raw, but it 
tasted good. About thirty-six hours after 
this, just at break of day, as I was sitting at 
the tiller, I felt something strike my cheek. It 
was a little flying-fish. I caught it, and soon 
a school of them came skipping along, several 
dropping on deck. I captured five or six of 
them and they gave us the last meal we had 
on the gig: for at daylight I saw land — 
Tahoora or Kaula Rock." 

( 112 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

Our captain has made the following report 
to the Secretary of the Navy, which adds to 
and confirms the story of the lone survivor 
of the gig: — 

Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, 
January 18, 1871. 

Sir: — I forward herewith the brief report 
called for by regulation of the death of Lieutenant 
J. G. Talbot (and also three of the crew of the 
United States Steamer Saginaw) at the island of 
Kauai (Hawaiian Group). 

I feel that something more is due to these de- 
voted and gallant friends, who so nobly risked 
their lives to save those of their shipmates, and I 
beg leave to report the following facts regarding 
their voyage from Ocean Island and its melan- 
choly conclusion. 

The boat (which had been the Saginaw's gig 
and was a whaleboat of very fine model) was pre- 
pared for the voyage with the greatest care. She 
was raised on the gunwale eight inches, decked 
over, and had new sails, etc. 

The boat left Ocean Island November 18, 1870. 
( 113 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

The route indicated by me to Lieutenant Talbot 
was to steer to the northward "by the wind" until 
he got to the latitude of about 32 degrees north, 
and then to make his way to the eastward until 
he could "lay" the Hawaiian Islands with the 
northeast trade winds. He seems to have followed 
about that route. The boat lost her sea anchor 
and oars in a gale of wind and a good deal of her 
provision was spoiled by salt water. The naviga- 
tion instruments, too, were of but little use, on 
account of the lively motions of the boat. When 
she was supposed to be in the longitude of Kauai 
she was really about one and one half degrees to 
the westward; thus, instead of the island of Kauai 
she finally sighted the rock Kauhulaua (the south- 
western point of land in the group) and beat up 
from thence to the island of Kauai. She was hove 
oflE the entrance of Hanalei Bay during part of the 
night of Monday, December 19th, and in attempt- 
ing to run into the Bay about 2.30 a.m. she got 
suddenly into the breakers (which here made a 
considerable distance from the shore) and cap- 
sized. 

I enclose herewith a copy of the deposition of 

( 114 ) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

William Halford, coxswain, the only survivor of 
this gallant crew; his narrative being the one from 
which all accounts are taken. I have not seen 
him, personally, as he left here before my arrival. 

Peter Francis, quartermaster, and John An- 
drews, coxswain, were washed overboard at once 
and disappeared. Lieutenant Talbot was washed 
oflf the boat, and when she capsized he clung to the 
bottom and tried to climb up on it, going to the 
stern for that purpose; the boat gave a plunge and 
Halford thinks that the boat's gunwale or stern 
must have struck Mr. Talbot in the forehead as he 
let go his hold and went down. 

James Muir was below when the boat struck 
the breakers, and does not appear to have come out 
of her until she had rolled over once. He must 
have suffered some injury in the boat, as he ap- 
pears to have been out of his mind and his face 
turned black immediately after his death. As will 
be seen by Halford's statement, Muir reached 
shore, but died of exhaustion on the way to the 
native huts. 

The body of John Andrews did not come on 
shore until about December 20th. All clothes had 
( 115 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

been stripped from it. The body of Peter Francis 
has never been recovered. 

The bodies are buried side by side at Hanalei 
(Kauai). The service was read over them in a 
proper manner. Suitable gravestones will be 
erected over them by subscription of the officers 
and crew of the Saginaw. 

As soon as we had gotten on Ocean Island after 
the Saginaw's wreck, Lieutenant Talbot volun- 
teered to take this boat to Honolulu, and the rest 
volunteered as soon as it was known that men 
might perhaps be wanted for such service. 

Mr. Talbot was a very zealous and spirited 
officer. I had observed his excellent qualities from 
the time of his joining the Saginaw (September 23, 
1870) in Honolulu. During the wreck and after- 
wards he rendered me the greatest assistance and 
service by his fine bearing, his cheerfulness, and 
devotion to duty. His boat was evidently com- 
manded with the greatest intelligence, fortitude, 
and gallantry and with the most admirable devo- 
tion. May the Service always be able to find such 
men in the time of need. 

The men were fine specimens of seamen — cool 
( 116) 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

and brave, with great endurance and excellent 
physical strength. They were, undoubtedly, those 
best qualified in the whole party on Ocean Island 
to perform such a service. Both Lieutenant Talbot 
and his men had very firm confidence in their boat 
and looked forward with cheerfulness to the voy- 
age. Such men should be the pride of the Navy, 
and the news of their death cast a deep gloom over 
the otherwise cheerful feelings with which the 
Kilauea was welcomed at Ocean Island. 

I do not know that I sufficiently express my 
deep sense of their devotion and gallantry; words 
seem to fail me in that respect. 

Previous to the sailing of the boat from Ocean 
Island I had enlisted John Andrews and James 
Muir as seamen for one month. Since I have 
ascertained their fate I have ordered them to be 
rated as petty officers (in ratings allowed to most 
of the "fourth rates"), as I have thought that all 
the crew of that boat should have stood on equal 
footing as regards the amount they might be 
entitled to in case of disaster, as they all incurred 
the same risk. 

Andrews and Muir belonged to the party of 
( 117 ) 



THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SAGINAW 

Mr. G. W. Townsend (the contractor at Midway 
Islands), and it was made a condition, by them, of 
their enlistment that it should not interfere with 
their contract with Mr. Townsend. It was in- 
tended as the security of their families against 
the risk incurred while performing the great ser- 
vice for the shipwrecked party. I have forwarded 
their enlistment papers to the Bureau of Equip- 
ment and Recruiting. 

I am very respectfully, 
Your obedient Servant, 
Montgomery Sicard, 
Lieut. Comdr. U.S.N. Comd'g. 
Hon. George M. Robeson, 
Secretary of the Navy. 

In God's Country again 
San Francisco, February 8, 1871. After a 
pleasant voyage in the Moses Taylor we are 
again, all hands, — minus our gallant com- 
rades, — on American soil, and the cruise of 
the Saginaw is officially closed. The officers 
have taken up quarters on shore, and the crew 
( 118 ) 



.f.n 



:V 



IN HEMORYSF 



aoHN c. 



V PETER FRApiS, qUAR-MASTIR,"^ 

JOHN AMipEWS, COLSWAIi. 
•■ 4flMiS MUil, CAPT. OF HOii. 

fllL or TKi U.S.S.8SCWAW. 



WliO WIRE DROWNED 

DEC. 19. 1870. WHILE STTEMPTINC TO lAWO 

on THE ISLAM0 Of KAU*I, !N THE PIO«TM MCirje 

OCEAN, AFTEB A BSAT VOY&Ot 8f FrrTEEN MONOBEB 

MarS.VOlUHTARIlY WNOCRTaKEN IN SE«iCH Or 

aiO FOB T«E!R WRICSED SHIPMATES BN 0«« ISiftSI 

TO COUmmORMt their «0¥EST«R0US wtace, 

IN ABMIRJITiON OF THEIR KEROISM, 

A«0 TO KEEP AI.I¥E THE REMEMftRANCE 

or THEIR HtlBlE kUB GENEROUS niVOTIDIK, 

THIS TAatET IS ERECTED BY THEIR SHI^MfiTfS 

AND BY OrriEEBS Of THE U.S.MAfY. 



■•CRESTSi 10»I H»TM MO MMM TH*I« TUK, 
THAI- A MftJJ lAY 'OOWd HIS lirt Mil HIS rR«H§S» 



THE TABLET 

Now on the walls of the chapel at the United States Kaval Academy 



THE FATE OF THE GIG 

temporarily transferred to the U.S. Steamer 
Saranac for discharge or detail as their period 
of enlistment may require. The gig came with 
us and will be temporarily stored until it is 
decided as to her future. We have started a 
subscription for a suitable memorial to the 
gig's heroes, and the other ships of the squad- 
ron have generously offered their help. The 
most approved plan seems to be a marble 
tablet on the walls of the chapel at the Naval 
Academy, and the captain has made a sketch 
of one as it would appear there. 

{Note. November 1, 1871. The tablet as 
designed has been completed and delivered 
at the Naval Academy. The following pic- 
ture shows its appropriate character, and I 
deem it a jBtting conclusion to my story. The 
gig is also to go to the Naval Academy to be 
deposited in the Museum.) 

THE END 



APPENDIX 



I HAVE been asked several times how It came 
about that our good ship could have met her sad 
fate when so recently out of port, her oflScers 
knowing the existence of the dangers so near. I 
have confined my narrative to personal experi- 
ences and to incidents of the life under the con- 
ditions surrounding us. However, as such ques- 
tions may arise in the mind of some readers and 
in order to enlighten them, I set down below some 
copies of the results from official investigations by 
those higher in authority. 

First: There is the report of the Court of In- 
quiry held upon our arrival in San Francisco, 
which reads thus : — 

The Court is of the opinion that the wrecking of the 

Saginaw was caused by a current, as the evidence shows 

care in running the vessel at a safe rate of speed and the 

log-line was found to be correct two days before and 

( 121 ) 



APPENDIX 

had been used only ten hours at sea afterward, and that 
Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Sicard used due 
vigilance and care in the navigation of his vessel, and 
after striking upon the reef that he exercised sound 
judgment and exhibited great skill and prudence. 

This was followed later by the Secretary of the 
Navy's annual report to the President, from which 
the following is an extract : — 

Leaving Midway Islands on the 28th of October, 
Commander Sicard, of the Saginaw, determined to run 
to Ocean Island, a small island lying about one hundred 
miles to the westward of Midway, to rescue any sailors 
who might have been wrecked there and who, being out 
of the ordinary track of vessels in that part of the 
Pacific Ocean, would have httle chance of relief from 
any other source. This expedition, though in the direct 
line of his duty as the commander of a naval vessel, was 
fraught with the usual perils of navigation in unknown 
and dangerous waters, and about three o'clock -lOn the 
morning of the 29th of October, the Saginaw, running 
slowly in the darkness, was wrecked on a reef outlying 
the island for which she was bound. With much exer- 
tion and the exercise of much energy and skill, all on 
board, including the officers and men of the ship and 

( 122 ) 



APPENDIX 

the working party from Midway Islands, were safely 
landed, with a small allowance of provisions and mate- 
rials rescued from the wreck. Cast upon the shores of 
an uninhabited island with scanty means of subsist- 
ence, out of the line of travel, and more than one thou- 
sand miles from the nearest port of refuge or relief, 
then it was that the commanding oflBcer of the Saginaw 
illustrated the benefits of the comprehensive education 
and strict training which he had received at the hands 
of the Government and exhibited the high personal 
qualities which characterize him as an officer. Ably 
seconded by his subordinate officers of every grade. 
Commander Sicard took immediately every possible 
means for the health, safety, and final relief of those 
who were committed to his command. Whatever could 
be saved from the wreck was at once secured; measures 
were immediately taken to keep up the health, spirits, 
and discipline of the men: fresh water was distilled by 
means of an old boiler, and everything was organized 
so that there was no waste of either provisions, mate- 
rial, or labor. 

The boat fittest for the service was promptly repaired, 
provisioned, and equipped, as far as might be, for the 
-perilous voyage. Manned by one officer and four men, 
all of whom volunteered for the service, it was dis- 
patched to Honolulu, the nearest port from which 

( ns ) 



APPENDIX 

relief could be expected. After her departure work was 
vigorously pushed on the island; and when finally 
rescued, the shipwrecked marines with well-directed 
labor had almost completed, from the material of their 
old ship, a new schooner perfectly seaworthy and 
sufficient, under favorable circumstances, to carry the 
whole shipwrecked party to a port of safety. I have 
thus collated some of the facts of this case to illustrate 
my high opinion of the energy and ability displayed by 
Commander Sicard and his comrades on this occasion 
and to show how well such conduct repays the favor of 
the Government. 

After relating the history of the boat's voyage 
which we have already read, the Secretary con- 
cludes as follows : — 

The death of Lieutenant Talbot closed a career of 
unusual promise, and in it the Navy lost a brilliant and 
beloved member. A skillful sailor, an accomplished 
officer, and a Christian gentleman, his self-sacrifice has 
arrested the attention of his comrades and will remain 
an example to the Service which in life his virtues 
adorned and whose highest qualities were illustrated in 
the crowning heroism of his death. His comrades of 
humbler rank will not be forgotten; with him they 
faced the dangers of the lonely ocean and offered their 
( 124 ) 



APPENDIX 

lives with his to save their shipwrecked messmates, 
and no one can estimate how much of danger and suf- 
fering, perhaps death, was saved through the courage 
and endurance of the sole survivor of that gallant boat's 
crew. 



II 

The following is a list of the oflBcers and crew 
of the Saginaw as it appeared on the pay-roll at 
the time she was wrecked; I feel that I should 
name them all in recognition of a comradeship 
in suffering never to be forgotten where each one 
performed his duty unflinchingly : — 

Officers 

Montgomery Sicard, lieutenant commander. 

John G. Talbot, lieutenant. 

J. K. Cogswell, Perry Garst, and A. H. Parsons, 

ensigns. 
George H. Read, passed assistant paymaster. 
James Butterworth, passed assistant engineer. 
H. C. Blye, passed assistant engineer (in charge of 

contractor's party). 
John J. Ryan, C. D. Foss, Herschel Main, and 

Jones Godfrey, second assistant engineers. 
George H. Robinson, master's mate. 

Petty Officers 
Peter Francis, quartermaster. 
Nicholas Barton, quartermaster. 
( 126 ) 



APPENDIX 

Thomas Hayes, sailmaker's mate. 
John Lane, boatswain's mate. 
James Foschack, gunner's mate. 
J. M. Logan, yeoman. 
William Halford, coxswain. 
Samuel A. Thompson, master at arms. 
Charles Hale, paymaster's yeoman. 
A. E. Myfinger, cabin steward. 
Solomon Graves, cabin cook. 
Joseph Ross, wardroom steward. 
George D. Wauchoss, wardroom cook. 
Henry B. Clark, third-class apothecary. 
William Edman, ship's cook. 
Henry Wallace, steerage steward. 
L. McCabe, steerage cook. 

First-class firemen, Francis Scott, Lorenzo Co- 
burg, George White. 

Second-class fireman, George Hubert. 

Seamen, William Cairns, Michael Lynch, Henry 
D. Vivian, Daniel Collins. 

Ordinary seamen, Joseph A. Bailey, John H. 
Wallace, Dennis A. Fitzgerald, John Daley, 

( 127 ) 



APPENDIX 

Charles Brown, Dennis M. Hayes, Michael Jor- 
dan, Edward James. 

Landsmen, James Nichols, W. J. Evans, Edward 
O'Brien, Thomas Kearney, J. R. Miller, Martin 
Doran, William Fallon, Thomas Larkin, Joseph 
McLaughlin, George Saunders, William Combs, 
Joseph A. Agarrie, Michael Garvey, John Murphy, 
John Downs, James McNamara, John Riley, 
Thomas Melody, James M. Nolan. 

Marine guard, Charles A. Martin, orderly ser- 
geant; John G. Moore, corporal; Phillip Morris, 
corporal. 

Privates, D. G. Brennan, Thomas Wiseman, 
David Muir, James Sarsfield, Thomas Jones, John 
McGrath, Lewis Peck. 



CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS 
U . S . A 



FEB Bl 1912 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 
FEt 21 1912 



